​The 2026-27 campaign will mark five years since that historic day at Wembley in May 2022, and reflect on how far we have come not only as a football club but as a city. Today, I will look at the 18-man squad that earned us promotion back to the EFL Championship in the 2021-22 season and where they are now.
Sunderland lined up against Wycombe Wanderers in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Let’s start with the man in goal that day: Anthony Patterson. Patterson started in goal after spending half of the campaign on loan at National League side Notts County. He made three crucial saves and finished the day as a promotion winner with his boyhood club. Patterson would go on to be Sunderland AFC’s first-choice keeper for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons before making way for Robin Roefs in 2025-26 and subsequently being loaned out to Millwall in February this year. With the Lions, he reached the play-offs but fell short to Hull City, the eventual winners. He enjoyed a solid season at The Den, making 16 appearances and keeping six clean sheets. He has since returned to Sunderland, with several clubs weighing up a summer move for the goalkeeper ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Dennis Cirkin, at left-back that day, made his senior debut that season and never looked back, growing into a defensive stalwart who can also conjure up spectacular goals—Coventry City’s home strike in 2024 stands out. Cirkin played the full 90 minutes with a 50 percent passing accuracy and 47 touches that day. He remained with Sunderland until the end of the 2025-26 season, racking up 126 appearances for the Lads and performing admirably at the highest level. In June 2026, Cirkin announced his departure from Wearside. He leaves as a double promotion-winning hero to the Mackems and is currently a free agent as of July 2026.
Lynden Gooch, an academy product, was the only player in that starting XI to have already appeared in the Premier League for Sunderland at the time. The American Mackem went on to make 33 competitive appearances after the Wembley final before departing two matches into the 2023-24 season to link up with Alex Neil at Stoke City. After 53 appearances for the Potters, Gooch joined Huddersfield Town and spent the 2025-26 season with the Terriers, scoring two goals and providing six assists. He remains contracted to Huddersfield Town.
Bailey Wright had already spent two seasons with Sunderland by the time of the Wembley triumph and, in my view, was one of our best performers during our third-tier spell. Wright left during the 2022-23 season after making 16 Championship appearances, signing for fellow promoted side Rotherham United. Since then, he has played for Lion City Sailors, where he has netted 16 goals and made 93 appearances.
Danny Batth joined the squad as captain during this era, bringing leadership and experience to the back line. His impact went beyond the pitch, helping to cultivate a winning mentality across the squad as we navigated promotion and the challenges of stepping back up to the Championship.
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