Lee Cattermole has spoken highly of his time with Sunderland.
The former midfielder revealed to Chronicle Live that he ‘loved’ his time in the Premier League despite a number of relegation battles that eventually resulted in a drop down to the second tier.
Cattermole joined Sunderland from Wigan Athletic in 2009 and went on to become a cult hero, spending ten years on Wearside, putting his heart and soul into the club and playing a huge part in keeping them in the top flight for most of his time there.
The 35-year-old eventually joined VVV-Venlo before announcing his retirement from professional football in August 2020.
As Cattermole looks forward to the next stage of his career after stepping down from his coaching role at Middlesbrough, he took a moment to look back at his time at the Stadium of Light.
“I loved the time in the Premier League I thought it was such a challenge every year,” he said.
“It probably just became one challenge too much in the end.
“We were fighting hard and we had some great squads we built, some great managers along the way and competing with some of the best teams in the country.
“I think we held our own for a long time and it’s not as easy to stay in the Premier League for as long as we did.
“I look back at it with some great experiences, really hard work, great club, great people. The people were amazing, the staff, players, fans.
“I felt a good connection all the way through which is hard to get. The fans always turn up in numbers so that always gives you a chance.”
Lee Cattermole’s commitment is what makes him a Sunderland legend
Lee Cattermole became a hero on Wearside, despite underperforming for a large chunk of his time at the club.
The Middlesbrough academy product was at his very best under Gus Poyet when he was challenging for a place in the England squad. However, there were still plenty of times when he received plenty of criticism from fans.
It was never really Cattermole’s ability that won the supporters over. Yes, he put in some excellent performances, but he wore his heart on his sleeve and that is what they loved.
Cattermole was present for some of the Black Cats’ hardest times and he never once gave up – he committed everything to the club that he loved and nobody can fault him for that.