Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce named two Black Cats players in his all-time managed XI.
In the 2010s, Sunderland had several managers who were chopped and changed amid constant battles against the threat of relegation.
One man that oversaw the start of the decade was Steve Bruce, who found himself as Sunderland boss for a period of over two years that came to its conclusion in 2011.
Bruce delivered relative success in the 2009/10 campaign as Sunderland finished 13th in the table, with 14 points separating them and relegation to the Championship, and there was a further improvement in the following season as a 10th place finish was recorded.
Unfortunately, things soon fell apart in his third season with Sunderland as a defeat to Wigan Athletic at home sparked a change in management.
During his tenure, he had several top players at his disposal, two of which he named in his best XI of players he managed.
Steve Bruce best XI that includes two Sunderland stars
Speaking to The Telegraph in 2022, Bruce reflected on his managerial career, as well as his best 11 of players that he has managed during his life.
Starting with Sheffield United in 1998, Bruce has managed 12 teams, including Blackpool, where he currently finds himself.
With 1068 managerial appearances, Bruce formulated his dream XI…
| Player | Team |
| Chris Kirkland | Wigan Athletic |
| Wes Brown | Sunderland |
| Harry Maguire | Hull City |
| John Terry | Aston Villa |
| Andy Robertson | Hull City |
| Lee Cattermole | Wigan & Sunderland |
| Wilson Palacios | Wigan Athletic |
| Jack Grealish | Aston Villa |
| Antonio Valencia | Wigan Athletic |
| Christophe Duggary | Birmingham City |
| Allan Saint-Maximan | Newcastle United |
Notably, Sunderland have two inductees into Bruce’s side, Lee Cattermole and Wes Brown, whilst his spell at Newcastle United only saw one player mentioned.
Bruce also named a bench, which included former Sunderland man John Mensah.
The one man that Steve Bruce surprisingly forgot
Looking at the likes of Cattermole and Brown being named in Bruce’s all-time XI, it raises questions over some players that missed out, one of which being Jordan Henderson.
The Sunderland midfielder laid down the foundations for his fantastic career whilst on Wearside as part of Bruce’s Black Cats outfit that finished 10th place in the Premier League, and he even popped up with three league goals.
Ultimately, Bruce was always going to leave out some big Sunderland names, but the fact that there are plenty to choose from shows the success that he encountered on Wearside in terms of his first two seasons.