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Where Are They Now? The 7 Players Who Left Sunderland Last Summer And What Happened Next
As Sunderland gear up for a hectic summer in the transfer market following their promotion to the Premier League, attention has turned not only to potential incomings and outgoings, but also to the players who exited the club permanently last summer. While stars like Jobe Bellingham and Tommy Watson have already moved on this year, what became of the lesser-seen names who departed 12 months ago?
Here’s a look at where they ended up and how their careers have fared since leaving Wearside:
Jack Clarke
Undoubtedly the headline exit of last summer, Clarke swapped Sunderland for Premier League newcomers Ipswich Town. Though he featured regularly, the winger couldn’t quite ignite his new side’s campaign. Despite notching four goals and seven assists in 38 matches, Ipswich were relegated after a tough debut season in the top flight.
Bradley Dack
Brought in under Tony Mowbray, Dack never quite found his rhythm with Sunderland. He returned to Gillingham on a free transfer and featured 19 times in League Two, registering a goal and an assist. Nevertheless, the experienced midfielder penned a one-year extension with the club last month.
Jack Diamond
Diamond also left as a free agent, signing with League Two outfit Stockport County. Despite a strong league campaign that saw them finish third, promotion slipped through their fingers in the play-offs. Diamond will be hoping to go one step further next season.
Elliot Embleton
Embleton’s post-Sunderland year has been turbulent. After joining Blackpool, he made a swift switch to Carlisle United in January. Unfortunately, he couldn’t prevent their slide into the National League, as the Cumbrians finished 23rd in League Two.
Alex Bass
Rarely seen in a Sunderland shirt, Bass joined Notts County last summer and quickly cemented himself as their first-choice goalkeeper. The move proved fruitful, with the shot-stopper keeping clean sheets in roughly a third of his 39 appearances during the campaign.
Corry Evans
The former Sunderland skipper was a free agent after leaving the club, eventually signing for Bradford City in October. His stay was brief, as he soon dropped to the National League with Oldham Athletic. It turned out to be a winning decision, however, as he played a part in their successful play-off promotion back to League Two.
These seven exits shaped the transition Sunderland experienced last year and as another window of change approaches, all eyes will be on how the next wave of departures pans out.
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