John Mensah is one of only two in the list to boast two loan spells with the club, however, the least said about his second stint the better. What must be remembered though was his impeccable first loan. He was pretty much an unknown for fans upon his arrival, with only his vast injury record preceding him, and for the first few months he was the forgotten man in Steve Bruces squad. The manager was determined to play him, but was struggling to get Mensah in peak condition first, and when that was finally achieved Sunderland could see what they had been missing. The powerful centre half didnt look as though he would be the quickest, certainly his physicality wouldnt have suggested it, but as some of the best footballers had said, the first three yards in the head. So it proved, a natural reading of the game and potential danger allowed the defensive powerhouse to swat it away. Brave, strong and calm under pressure, there was no situation it seemed that Mensah couldnt handle. The extra work and precautions, wrapping Mensah in cotton wool paid off for Steve Bruce. For the back end of his first season Mensah was in effect a regular and certainly the first name on the team sheet as far as Bruces defence was concerned. If it hadnt been for his injury record, it was fair to say on that showing later in his first season Mensah could have played for one of the top clubs, easily. But it became a standing joke almost, substituted in the 80th minute of every match just as a precaution - and one which Bruce heeded when arranging a second loan, instead of splashing the cash.
