'We will get there!' - Luke O'Nien determined to restore Sunderland to Premier League

Sunderland captain Luke O'Nien says everyone should be proud of what Sunderland are going now - but he knows what their 'job' is.

Luke O’Nien says the job of the Sunderland players is to get promoted, and they’ll keep on going with it until they ‘get it right.’

Sunderland were unfortunate to lose in the play-offs semi-finals last year to eventual winners Luton Town, and they are right in the mix for the play-off positions again this season.

O’Nien has been a key part of that, impressing at centre back and captaining the club in all but one of their Championship games this season.

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He has already had a taste of achieving a promotion goal with Sunderland, with him helping Sunderland to promotion from League One in 2021/22 – an achievement chronicled in the upcoming third season of Sunderland Til I Die.

However, O’Nien says everyone is aware that regaining their position in the Premier League is the true objective, although he also believes we should be proud of what the club is doing now as well.

“I think the club is in a great space,” O’Nien told Sunderland Nation. “I didn't see it at the heights that it has been, but where it is now, I think it's just as great because we have the same numbers, we have 40 plus thousand [fans in the ground].

“And I think people love that just as much as they did when it's been at its most successful. Yeah, we'd love to do that against the top clubs, but it's still equally wonderful where it is now.

“And again, I've got the hope, we've all got the hope, of where we want it to go to, and we will get there.

“But again, it's a process. There are 20 plus teams still trying to do the same thing as us. And that's the wonderful thing of Sunderland Til I Die Season Three: We got it right.

“We beat 20 teams to that goal. And it's our job this year to do the same. And it's our job next year to do the same again. But that's just the joys of football.”

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