Luke O’Nien has opened up on how it has felt playing for the club he ‘grew up seeing on Premiership Years’.
Speaking on the Paul Mort Talks Sh*t podcast, the Sunderland defender shared his ‘immense pride’ about playing for and captaining the Black Cats this season.
O’Nien was relatively unknown outside of Wycombe Wanderers when he arrived on Wearside in 2018.
The Watford academy graduate endured a difficult start to life at Sunderland but quickly turned things around and became one of the most loved figures at the club.
As well as saving a dog’s life on a Sunderland beach last month, O’Nien has been a regular in the match-day squad over the last five years and was named in the 2020-21 League One Team of the Season, a year before he played a key role in winning promotion to the Championship.
The 28-year-old has only improved in the second tier and has been awarded with the captain’s armband this season following the long-term injury to Corry Evans.
O’Nien certainly hasn’t taken his position at Sunderland for granted and was eager to share his feelings at being part of Tony Mowbray’s side.
Luke O’Nien is still baffled that he has ended up at Sunderland
“It is really, really hard to describe for so many reasons,” he said. “I sit there and think ‘I couldn’t have pictured this as a kid’, and to get to this stage – it is immense pride.
“The way to describe playing for Sunderland is the buzz that you get from it is huge, it is a huge buzz. Even away, but at home the buzz it gives you stepping out in front of that many fans, wearing the iconic Sunderland shirt that I grew up seeing it on Premiership Years – I grew up seeing that and to picture myself as a kid watching football thinking I will be in the North East wearing that one day – you can’t quite put them things together.
“When I told my mum and dad, they came up and watched it and I saw the pride in their faces – I had a reflection in that moment. I walked out here five years ago and I was off within 45 minutes and now.. I am dead chuffed, no one can ever take that moment away from me.
“I never aimed for it, because I just aimed to, win games and if that comes as a consequence (being the captain), that is immense pride.” To get that feeling once, let alone how many times, is something I wish I could bottle up and pass to every Sunderland fan, because I know they would love to be in my shoes.
“The way it has developed me as a player, what it has given to me in terms of feeling, I never take that for granted – I know any person in that dtadium would give their left and right arm to be doing what I am doing, so I make sure I leave everything out there.”
It doesn’t feel like five minutes since O’Nien was hauled off at half-time on his debut, but he has come on leaps and bounds and has pinned himself into the club’s history books as a huge fan favourite.
The versatile defender has often come under huge criticism for his ability, but he has definitely proven himself this season and his new contract is one that is welcomed by many.