AT some stage in the next ten days, there is every chance that Dan Neil will leave Sunderland. If he does, and assuming he does not feature against West Ham tomorrow, he will depart having played a grand total of 13 minutes of football in the Premier League.
There is a decent chance that Anthony Patterson could join him through the exit door, and even if he does not, because Sunderland conclude that trying to source a new second-choice goalkeeper in the final few days of the transfer window is more hassle than it is worth, there is no realistic chance of Patterson making his Premier League debut in the remainder of the season unless something goes wrong with Robin Roefs.
Two homegrown academy products who were absolutely integral to Sunderland’s promotion success in the Championship last season; two players who have been unceremoniously shunted to the sidelines amid the bright lights of the top-flight. It is perfectly possible to marvel at the brilliance of Sunderland’s summer transfer business, and praise the ruthless attitude Regis Le Bris has adopted in the Premier League, yet still feel sorry for the players that have fallen by the wayside as the club have successfully tackled the latest stage of their evolution.
It cuts hardest with Neil. More than anyone else, the 24-year-old embodies the journey that Sunderland have been on in the last decade or so. He was there at the Stadium of Light as a season-ticket holder in the days of Martin O’Neill and Paolo Di Canio, supporting his hometown team and dreaming of one day representing them.
He made his senior debut in an 8-1 win over Aston Villa Under-21s in the Papa John’s Trophy – does anything exemplify the depths to which Sunderland plunged better than that? – and was playing as the Black Cats lost 5-1 at Rotherham and 6-0 at Bolton.
He also made 44 league starts as Sunderland won promotion last season though, scoring in the dramatic win at Middlesbrough, delivering a series of superb central-midfield display and skippering the side on that unforgettable day at Wembley.
He would have headed into the summer excited at the prospect of stepping up to the Premier League and confident in his ability to excel at the highest level. It hasn’t turned out that way. While Dan Ballard and Trai Hume have blossomed in the top-flight, Neil has been cast aside. The same is true of Patterson and Patrick Roberts, who has already left to join Birmingham City in a loan move that could become a permanent transfer this month, and to a slightly lesser extent, Luke O’Nien, who is determined to remain on Wearside for the remainder of this season even if his prospects of playing regular football look extremely remote.
No one can argue that what has happened to Neil has been wrong. Football is a cut-throat business, with no room for sentiment. Sunderland brought in Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki and Lutsharel Geertruida to fill their central-midfield positions in the summer, and all four have been excellent this season. Le Bris swiftly concluded that all four were better bets than Neil in the top-flight, presumably sensing something in the Wearsider’s game that was not quite ready for the Premier League. You only have to look at the table to see that his judgement has been proved to be correct.
Yet, watching Neil warm up on the touchline at the Stadium of Light, almost sheepishly acknowledging the support of the home crowd, or seeing him after the final whistle at Everton, keen to join in the post-match celebrations, but noticeably stood apart from the main first-team group, and it is impossible not to feel a twinge of sadness.
As well as being a ruthlessly professional sport, football is also a vehicle for dreams and for communities to come together. There is no better story at any football club than the hometown hero made good, living out the fantasies of all those he once sat alongside in the stands.
Neil has lived that story. Or at least he has, right up until the final chapter. It now looks inevitable that that will remain unwritten, which will be a great shame, for all that the excitement of following the current season will continue once the transfer window closes.
Sunderland fans have new heroes to worship now. But it should never be forgotten that there would have been no Granit Xhaka had it not been for the feats achieved by the likes of Dan Neil in League One and the Championship. If he is to leave Sunderland in the next couple of weeks, he will leave as a club legend. Season-ticket holder, first-team star, winner at Wembley. The present is only possible thanks to the past.
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