Sunderland have certainly had their share of managers since the turn of the Century.
Since 2000, Sunderland have appointed 22 different, permanent managers, with current boss Regis Le Bris being the 22nd.
Le Bris, 48, arrived at the Stadium of Light earlier this summer after the club took four months to find a replacement for Michael Beale who was sacked in February.
Le Bris is the first non-British manager to mange Sunderland since Dick Advocaat in 2015, and the first French manager in the club’s history.
He’s also the club’s fifth permanent manger since Sunderland owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus became chairman in February 2021, following the likes of Lee Johnson, Alex Neil, Tony Mowbray, and Beale.
Le Bris takes charge of a Sunderland side that endured a disappointing 2023/24 season in the Championship, eventually finishing in 16th place of the table.
The Sunderland job has long proved a difficult one, and often short-lived. Now, one former Black Cats boss could be set for a shock new role.
Former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce in talks with Jamaica national team
Steve Bruce, 63, was Sunderland manager between June 2009 and November 2011, winning 29 of his 98 games in charge before later taking charge of Newcastle United.
Bruce achieved a 13th place finish in the 2009/10 season and then a 10th place finish in the 2010/11 season, later being sacked in November of the 2011/12 season after winning just two of his opening 13 games in charge.
Since, Bruce has managed all of Hull City, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United, and West Brom with varying degrees of success.
But an emerging report from Daily Mail has now revealed that Bruce has held talks with Jamaica over the possibility of becoming their next manager, with a decision expected in the next 10 days.
Jamaica must consider one thing before hiring former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce
A lot of managers who’ve had vast experiences in club football take on a national team job later in their careers.
But the Jamaica job would be no retirement job for Bruce.
It’s a team brimming with pace and quality, with some young stars breaking through, and there’s expectations that the Reggae Boyz can start to assert themselves in South American football.
So the nation’s FA really needs to think about Bruce and whether or not he’d be a good fit, with his recent showings in club football suggesting that he might now be past his best.
He achieved good Premier League finishes with Sunderland, in an era that feels like a long time ago.
Whether or not Bruce can still provide the goods certainly remains to be seen, especially having never managed a national team before.