There's a broad smile on the face of Lynden Gooch as he sits down to reflect on 250 professional appearances in English football at Stoke City's training ground. 

A fun fact for the football trivia fans reading this, each one of those in a red and white shirt; at Sunderland, a loan spell at Doncaster Rovers and now the Potters.

His first, back in August 2015, donning the red and white of Sunderland for the first time in a senior set-up - a League Cup Second Round clash with Exeter City. The then, 19-year-old came off the bench for the final half-an-hour, replacing Adam Matthews in a 6-3 win at the Stadium of Light.

The first of many.

"Nah to be honest with you, you don't really think about it do you?" Gooch exclusively told We Are Sunderland reflecting on that achievement. "When you're young, you have the dream of being a professional footballer.

"Mine from a young age was playing for Sunderland. You just kind of take it in your stride."

But for Gooch, his journey to that point was years in the making.

Coached by his English-born father, Paul, Lynden grew up in a Californian household, the youngest of four brothers, obsessed with football - or soccer to those across the Atlantic.

"It's well documented, my dad is English and my mum is Irish," Gooch said. "I had an older brother who played football growing up and I just kind of followed him, as little brothers do. It just went from there really.

"My dad used to coach us, teach us the basics of football and as we got older he was the coach for our teams. That's how it started."

Santa Cruz Breakers and Santa Clara Sporting were two of the clubs Lynden represented as a youngster, and it was clear from an early age what he wanted to do - play professional football.

Of course, that's the dream of many a youngster across the globe, but Gooch was handed his break at just 10-years-old, catching the eye of the Black Cats. He'd spend his holidays travelling to Sunderland to play football at the Academy of Light.

"There was a centre of excellence in California coming over to the North East to play a few games," Gooch said. "I think it was Sunderland, Darlington and York, at the time.

"I scored a hattrick in my first game at the Academy of Light and that was it. At the time, Ged McNamee was the academy manager and Kevin Ball was there. It spiralled from there.

"From a young age I knew what I wanted to do. People might find that quite strange or think that I was pushed. I really wasn't. I just wanted to play football.

"I wanted to come to England and be professional footballer. As I grew up, they always had the games on, the Premier League was always on the tele. Manchester United were always on and I was always watching them play as a young lad. 

"That was me from a young age and it was what I wanted to do. I never really had family holidays or anything like that, it was always spent at the Academy [of Light].

"It was me and my dad every school holiday pretty much up until I was 16."

 Lynden's father would stay in touch with the club via email, to keep them in the loop about his exploits back in America and was handed the opportunity to sign a two-year scholarship in 2012. A no brainer, despite interest from West Ham United and being thousands of miles away from home.

"That's when I moved into digs in Seaburn," Gooch reflects. "I was living with John Egan [now with Sheffield United] at the time. That was a big transition.

"To be fair, I knew everyone at the club which was why I was so adamant I wanted to go to Sunderland. I had different options as well, I went to West Ham just to see what that was like but I always wanted to go to Sunderland.

"The facilities were fantastic and at the time it just felt like it was perfect for me. I knew all the staff, it felt like a family club. Like I say, I was familiar with everyone and even the players, I knew the likes of George Honeyman from 10 and 11-years-old and we came all the way through together. 

"That bit was quite easy. I would stay in touch with him back in America, but not massively. I don't think social media was that big back then but I was always looking forward to coming over any chance I got."

Gooch impressed in the youth set-up, working his way through the ranks to the Under-21s squad, when he was handed his first taste of senior football, a loan spell with non-league side Gateshead in February 2015.

The Heed, who narrowly missed out on promotion to the Football League the season prior, had built up quite the reputation for their style of play under Gary Mills - a European Cup winner with Nottingham Forest.

"I absolutely loved it," Gooch remarked. "I always speak about my time at Gateshead being massive for me. I absolutely loved my time there and I was actually gutted that the club recalled me when they did because I wanted to continue playing there.

"It was great. I'm still quite close with a lot of the lads that I played with at Gateshead and keep in touch with them and see them around the North East when I'm there. I loved it.

"It was really grounding, I had to wash my own kit every day, make my own dinner. You don't have to do that at Sunderland, at the academy you've got everything there. It was brilliant.

"It was a big step. I think sometimes players kind of see non-league and say 'I don't really want to go there' but it was the best thing I ever did personally. There was loads of lads in my youth team who didn't go on those sort of loans, then were released two or three-years later.

"Whereas, I was well in the first-team at that time, further down the road. I think those experiences are good even if they don't go well. You learn from them. I loved it."

READ MORE: Kevin Phillips' honest Michael Beale and Sunderland verdict

It was the first real test for Gooch when it came to adapting to different positions, playing off the wing for Mills' side, having spent the majority of his youth career as an out and out striker or a number 10.

"Growing up, I always played up front. I was a number nine or a number ten, a striker. That's where I always played from 10-years-old.

"That's how I got the attention of Sunderland and even in youth team years, in the Under-21s, when I broke into the first-team I was playing as a number 10 and scoring goals.

"It happens a lot, young players get into the first-team and managers put you out wide because of your energy, to work hard and stuff like that and I just kind of stayed there."

By his own admission, the loan at the International Stadium was a defining moment in his career and coincidentally, one that the aforementioned Honeyman replicated just a few months later.

Gooch said: "Some players might play a couple of games [in the first-team] or be in and around it and think 'right, that's me I'm going to stay here.' It's not that easy.

"Especially in the Premier League. At the time, we had some unbelievable players. Players on a lot of money and you come into that environment and you've got to make some sort of impression to try and get in there and stay there.

"Unfortunately, the Premier League years for me personally, once I got in there, didn't last too long. That was disappointing obviously."

Gooch would represent the United States on four occasions from 2016-2018 - having made his Premier League debut in that timeframe. Injuries would impact his first full season in the senior set-up, coinciding with the Black Cats relegation to the Championship at the end of 2017.

"It was extremely difficult," the Black Cats academy graduate admitted. "Growing up, when I first started coming to the Academy of Light, when I was ten I think it might have been the promotion year, they were in the Premier League all the way through until we got relegated.

"Everything about the club in terms of the academy and everything, it was all still Premier League, all that infrastructure was still there. I felt like, it wasn't just me, I've mentioned George Honeyman, the academy lads felt we needed to stay and help the club get back on the right track.

"Obviously, it took a lot longer than we envisioned but I'm really proud that I stayed. It's well known how much the club means to me although I wasn't born in the city, a big part of my life was there."

We Are Sunderland: George Honeyman and Lynden Gooch celebrate with Aiden McGeady.George Honeyman and Lynden Gooch celebrate with Aiden McGeady.

There were plenty of highs and lows during Gooch's Wearside tenure, relegation to League One the lowest of those memories that will last a lifetime.

Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' takeover at the Stadium of Light was a turning point for a club that should have never found itself stagnating in the third tier of English football.

"You could tell they wanted to change things," Gooch said as he looks back on the short-term changes implemented at the club following Louis-Dreyfus' arrival. "The way the club was being operated, the academy had been run down quite a bit there hadn't been many changes since when it first opened, so they wanted to try and change stuff at the training ground and make it more modern.

"They redid the gym, the canteen now at the training ground - all of those things they wanted to improve not just the way they do transfers and stuff like that.

"I think it was just different to what they were doing before hand. Before, they were trying to get the most experienced players in League One, that had been there and done it, to try and get the club back [to the Championship]. 

"They went down a younger route, getting players from Premier League clubs that might not have played much. In the end it obviously worked out."

We Are Sunderland: Lynden Gooch celebrates after scoring the winner in the Papa John's Trophy Final.Lynden Gooch celebrates after scoring the winner in the Papa John's Trophy Final.

Red and white supporters were already well accustomed to disappointment and heartache with each passing season in League One, so when the club reached the 2021 Papa John's Trophy Final, many predicted a similar outcome despite being the favourites.

The clash with League Two side Tranmere Rovers at an empty Wembley Stadium acted as a catalyst for Sunderland's upturn in fortune. The coronavirus lockdown meant fans were unable to attend games in that timeframe; football still carrying on in an attempt to 'lift spirits'.

Sunderland had not won at the home of English football in 48-years, but that was all about to change with a helping hand from their adopted Mackem, scoring the only goal on a sombre day.

"It was really strange," Gooch said reminiscing about March 14th. "Playing at Wembley for most people, especially in England, is a massive moment. Then you're going into a cup final with no fans and it's really strange.

"A couple of years before we did that and lost. Who knows what would have happened if the fans were there that day? Things happen for a reason I suppose and I'm just happy I scored and got that Wembley hoodoo out of the way at that time."

Very few players can say they've scored at the home of English football, but Gooch will forever be etched in the history books on Wearside. Looking back on that defining moment, he said: "I was just trying to see if he [Tranmere's goalkeeper Scott Davies] would make the first move and he did!

"I just waited and lifted it over him as he did. It seemed to take forever to get to the goal from when Geads [Aiden McGeady] made the pass. It was a great moment."

Sunderland would bring an end to their Wembley hoodoo, but the rollercoaster of emotions would not stop there. 

The following season saw the first influx of younger talent at the Academy of Light, with the Black Cats among the favourites to win automatic promotion to the Championship - like every season in the third tier.

Despite being among the early contenders, Lee Johnson's fell off the pace, a 6-0 defeat at Bolton Wanderers his final act as Black Cats boss at the end of January 2022.

READ MORE: Assessing Patrick Roberts' 'overlooked' Sunderland absence

Alex Neil would take over the reins and made a "massive" impression on Gooch on his first at the club.

The 28-year-old said: "I think when he took the job at Sunderland the transfer window had just shut.

"He said 'I know you've had a bit of trouble and whatever has gone on, but only us can try and fix it. If we get the club promoted it's going to benefit everyone, whether you stay or whether you move on. If you do well for me I'll fight for you to keep you at the club.'

"I was like 'okay,' That was on day one and that was it. I tried to get my head down and do my best not only for the club but for him as well."

We Are Sunderland: Lynden Gooch celebrates with the Sky Bet League One Play-Off trophy.Lynden Gooch celebrates with the Sky Bet League One Play-Off trophy.

Gooch was an ever present in Neil's starting XI, deployed mainly as a right-back as Sunderland kick started their promotion push, culminating in another Wembley triumph - the League One play-off final win over Wycombe Wanderers.

"That's a massive moment in my career," Gooch said looking back on an emotional interview in the mixed zone at Wembley, his immediate future unknown as he approached the end of his contract.

"I think six months before that there was talk of me leaving Sunderland. I ended up staying and promotion is what I always wanted to do.

"When we dropped down into League One it was always about getting the club back to where they want to be. Then staying and playing the next season - I've ended up here - without that promotion I probably wouldn't be at Stoke now."

Gooch would go on to make 30 appearances for the Black Cats on their return to the Championship after signing a new deal, captaining the side on a number of occasions under Neil's successor, Tony Mowbray.

"Tony was a great manager and I absolutely loved playing for him, a great guy as well," Gooch said. "We played them last week and we had a good chat. Some of the football was brilliant, some of the goals we scored, the way we were able to control games and getting to the play-offs was fantastic."

But, as the saying goes - nothing lasts forever.

Gooch left Sunderland in emotional departure at the beginning of this season, joining former boss Neil at Stoke City, bringing an end to an 11-year association with the Black Cats. A decision he admits was difficult to make, but he bares no bitterness towards the club.

We Are Sunderland: Lynden Gooch in action for Stoke City.Lynden Gooch in action for Stoke City. (Image: David Davies/PA Wire)

"To be honest, when I've thought about leaving the club before, one day you're going to leave or you're going to retire," he said. "I thought it's going to come to an end at some point. 

"I always felt like I might be bit bitter leaving the club, whether that was decisions that they might've made, if they felt it was best for me to move on or whatever, but to be honest it's been the complete opposite.

"I'm just really proud of the time I had there. I still watch some of the games and I still speak to the lads all the time. Some of my best mates in football are still at the club. I just want the club and the team to do well, especially my mates that are playing for the club, obviously not when I'll be playing against them!

"It's well documented that I support the club and all my family as well."

Recommended Reading

Gooch will return to the Stadium of Light for the first time as an opposition player on Saturday, looking to get one over close friends on Wearside.

"It's going to be really strange," he admitted. "I feel like I know the Stadium like the back of my hand, indoors, the pitch, everything apart the away dressing room. It'll be really weird but it'll be great to see everyone.

"I still keep in contact with a lot of people, even the people who work at the stadium. One of my best mates is the kitman, so I'm always in contact with him. It'll be great to see everyone."