'Immensely proud' - Dennis Cirkin reflects on Sunderland's 22/23 season
Dennis Cirkin featured 28 times for Sunderland in all competitions this season, scoring five goals along the way.
The 21-year-old signed from Tottenham Hotspur ahead of last season and he immediately became a key component of the Black Cats' defence.
Cirkin is a very versatile and very mature player for his age, but his 2022/23 campaign was somewhat blighted by injury with the Englishman missing a total of 18 league fixtures, including both play-off games v Luton Town this month.
Taking to Twitter yesterday, Cirkin reflected on his season. He wrote:
"First things first, immensely proud of this team, the fans and this club. Through all the challenges we faced this season, we fought right till the end and unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.
"Absolutely devastated I didn’t get the chance to help the team due to injury, it’s been a difficult season for me with a lot of ups and downs but also had the chance to watch this team as a fan and enjoy the incredible football we’ve played with some incredible players. All season the support has been class, home and away, so thank you to every one of you."
Cirkin missed almost the entirety of March after suffering a concussion in a 2-2 draw v Millwall in February. It was a persistent injury which hampered Cirkin's season, sustained after he headed home the equalising goal that game.
But that goal pretty well sums up the type of player Cirkin is. He gives everything for Sunderland and it's easy to forget that he's still only 21 years old because he plays with such confidence and ability.
Cirkin certainly looks to have a bright future in the game and in a Sunderland shirt too, and his message on Twitter shows his passion for the club.
He now has the pre-season to get fit and Tony Mowbray will be hoping that Cirkin can play a big part in Sunderland's 2023/24 campaign.
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