After a turbulent decade, Sunderland are back on the up.
Sunderland have suffered back-to-back relegations and endured four seasons in League One.
Now though, after a top six finish in the Championship last time round, the Black Cats are heading towards a rather obscure mid-table finish this season.
It’s steady, but it’s been an overall disappointing season, which shows the increasing level of expectations at the Stadium of Light under owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
Brighter days lie ahead for Sunderland, or at least the fans hope so, after witnessing some turgid performances and overall campaigns in the recent past.
Here we look at Sunderland’s 10 worst-rated players from the last 10 years, and what they’re up to now…
Note: These players must have made 10 or more appearances in a single season, with their rating coming from WhoScored.
Darron Gibson
Former Northern Ireland international Darron Gibson joined Sunderland from Everton in January 2017, signing alongside Bryan Oviedo.
But his spell on Wearside would be short-lived, ended prematurely in 2018 via mutual consent.
His performances in the 2016/17 relegation season gave him an average rating of just 6.32; he last played for Salford City in League Two and more recently opened up on his battles with addiction off the pitch.
Robbin Ruiter
Towering goalkeeper Robin Ruiter join Sunderland in 2017 after spending time with the club on trial.
But during the second-successive relegation campaign at Sunderland, the 2017/18 campaign, Ruiter would feature 20 times and keep just five clean sheets.
WhoScored gave him an average rating of 6.3 for his appearances that season, and just a few weeks ago he announced his retirement from football, last playing for Dutch side FC Nordsjælland.
Wahbi Khazri
75-cap Tunisia international Wahbi Khazri arrived at Sunderland midway through the 2015/16 season.
But it was his performances in the following 2016/17 season that were so poor; the attacking midfielder scored just once in 21 Premier League appearances as the Black Cats were relegated from the top flight.
Khazri was given a rating of 6.29 that season, but has since in spells with St Etienne and Montpellier in Ligue 1, currently playing with the latter to this day.
Steven Pienaar
South African legend Steven Pienaar capped a rather stellar career with a rather torrid spell at Sunderland.
He also joined for that 2016/17 season, failing to score in 15 Premier League appearances before then going on to have one final spell playing, this time with Bidvest Wits in his native South Africa.
Since, Pienaar has turned his attention to coaching, having had spells as a youth coach with Ajax, and now in UAE with Sharjah.
Pienaar had a rating of 6.28 when at Sunderland.
Will Buckley
Will Buckley joined Sunderland in the summer of 2014.
He reunited with former Brighton boss Gus Poyet, with Sunderland reportedly shelling out £2.5million to reunite the pair.
But this move would mark the beginning of the end for Buckley who would fail to score in 24 total appearances for Sunderland in 2014/15, then spending most of his time at the club out on loan.
Rated 6.25 when at Sunderland, Buckley retired in 2020 and opened up his own sports agency.
Will Grigg
Wil Grigg certainly goes down as one of the biggest flops in Sunderland history.
Sunderland broke the League One transfer record to bring him in, paying a reported fee of £3million to Wigan Athletic.
But in 47 total league appearances for the Black Cats, Grigg scored just five.
His performances in the 2018/19 season saw him given an average rating of just 6.21, but he’s since rediscovered his scoring touch with Chesterfield in the National League.
He’s scored 24 this season and is the second-highest scorer in the league.
Josh Maja
Josh Maja spent time in a number of academies before getting his chance with Sunderland, making his first-team debut in the 2-16/17 season.
He’d go on to flourish in League One, but he certainly struggled in his first full season in the Championship, scoring once in 17 and having an average rating of 6.2.
He left for Bordeaux in 2018 and enjoyed a decent five-year spell in France, returning on loan with Fulham and Stoke City.
He now plays for West Brom.
Lee Camp
Lee Camp played for any and every Football League team including Sunderland whom he represented on loan during the 2017/18 Championship season which ended in relegation.
He made just 12 league appearances for the Black Cats and left with a rating of 6.19 after a hugely underwhelming spell.
Now aged 39, Camp works as a youth coach at Blackpool.
Danny Graham
Danny Graham was a prolific striker for every team he played for, expect Sunderland.
He had two spells with Sunderland with the first coming in the 2015/16 season, with the Wearsiders paying £5million for the Scot following his goal-scoring exploits with Swansea City.
Immediately though, Graham struggled, spending time out on loan during each of his three seasons at the club, in which he scored once in 42 games.
His performances in the 2015/16 season warranted a rating of 6.17.
He left Sunderland in 2021 after joining for a second spell, retiring, and later working as a self-employed footballing advisor.
Jozy Altidore
Legendary American striker Jozy Altidore is remembered fondly in his homeland. But on British soil, not so much.
Sunderland brought him to England in 2013 following his scoring streak with AZ in the Netherlands, but in two seasons, the now 34-year-old would score just one Premier League goal, and three in all competitions.
He had an average rating of 6.15 for the 2014/15 season.
The Black Cats sold Altidore Toronto in 2015 and in seven MLS seasons he’d go on to score 79 goals.
Altidore last played for Mexican outfit Puebla on a six-month loan spell in 2022 and is now without a club, and seemingly retired.
