Former Sunderland winger Lynden Gooch said it was a ‘strange feeling’ facing his former team for the first time.
Gooch played against his boyhood club on Saturday afternoon for Stoke City, with his new side winning 2-1 courtesy of goals from Ryan Mmaee and Luke McNally, cancelling out Jack Clarke’s equaliser.
Former Black Cats favourite on ‘strange’ claim
The American international posted on his X account (formerly known as Twitter) thanking the Sunderland fans for their reception throughout the game.
“Great battle and an important 3 points against a top team yesterday!
A strange feeling personally playing against my boyhood club for the first time. Thank you to all the Sunderland fans for the love you showed me before, during, and after the game it meant a lot to me.”
Gooch’s long career at Sunderland
Gooch departed the Stadium of Light in the summer for Stoke, working once again with former Black Cats manager Alex Neil. He departed for an undisclosed fee and signed a two-year-deal at the Bet365 Stadium.
The 27-year-old had been at Sunderland for over 17 years, rising through the age groups since arrival at the age of ten.
He also spent time on loan at Gateshead and Doncaster Rovers early on in his Sunderland career.
He went on to make 247 appearances in total for the club since his debut in 2016, playing against Manchester City in the Premier League.
He scored 25 goals and got 38 assists, including one of the goals being scored at Wembley Stadium in the EFL Trophy final 2021.