Sunderland have spent too long outside Premier League - now they're close to something unbelievable
Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips insists Sunderland are a Premier League club - but now must earn their place
What a time to be a Sunderland fan . . . and club legend Kevin Phillips believes the club are “built for the Premier League". The Black Cats have a huge opportunity to return to the top tier when they face Sheffield United in the Championship promotion final on Saturday, May 24.
Every football fan in the country will have seen Dan Ballard’s header against Coventry City in a moment that will live with supporters forever. The former Arsenal academy graduate jumped and then dipped down low to get on the end of Enzo Le Fee’s last-minute corner to head it in off the crossbar,
It’s been eight years since Sunderland were in the Premier League but they are potentially just 90 minutes away from their long-awaited reunion with the tp division. Phillips reckons it’s where the club belongs.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former goalgetter heaped praise on head coach Regis Le Bris for what he’s been able to do with such a young squad, getting them to the position where they are now. He thinks a return to the top flight would be “huge” for the club.
“They’ve spent a long time away from the Premier League, four years in League One,” said Phillips. “Certainly from my time there I never envisaged Sunderland slipping down to League One. There has been a lot of heartache over the years, but they’ve gradually climbed their way back up. They find themselves in an unbelievable position now.
“We all know that the infrastructure is there at that football club. It’s built for the Premier League, but that doesn’t guarantee you [anything], and, you know, Premier League football, you have to earn that.”
Outside of the automatic promotion winners, the play-off finalists were the two best defensive teams in the Championship this season, and that was reflected in the pair of contests in which they faced each other in the regular season. The home sides were victorious on both occasions, with each tie being won by just one goal. It promises to be a fascinating final when a moment of brilliance could decide the outcome.