Former Sunderland striker Will Grigg once opened up on his failed Wearside move that never took off.
In the 2017/18 Championship season, Sunderland were plunged into League One after a double-relegation.
Several issues from recruitment, which saw Ashley Fletcher struggle for Sunderland after Lewis Grabban’s controversial exit, and as a result, the Black Cats finished bottom of the league.
With hopes of returning to the Championship at the first time asking, they turned to proven League One bagsman Will Grigg for a £3million fee, the largest fee in the third-tier at the time, but he couldn’t provide that tangible product that the Black Cats were calling out for.
Grigg has admitted himself that, alike many players at the time, he struggled immensely.
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Will Grigg on why Sunderland spell ‘didn’t work’
Looking back at the dark days in the midst of League One, they often had issues with players lacking confidence, and Grigg certainly had a case of that.
Having scored just four goals in his first League One season, and just one in his second, it was clearly not working for Grigg on Wearside, a truly remarkable contrast to his season prior with Wigan Athletic, where he bagged 19 in 43 games.
Speaking about his time at the Stadium of Light back in 2021, per Sunderland Echo, Grigg said: “It is just one of things. I signed last minute and we lost in the play-off final and it did not quite happen then and then there were a few different managers and styles and it just didn’t work for whatever reason.
“It is just football and life in general. It just didn’t work and it seems like it was never going to.
“Sunderland did not work out how everyone expected. It is one of those things and I feel like I am in great shape and have always looked after myself.
“I have been training to a really high standard at Sunderland, even though I have not got the minutes recently. I am still that same player and goalscorer.”
The silver lining to Will Grigg’s form struggles on Wearside
Unfortunately, like many strikers before Grigg, he was unable to live up to the vast expectations imposed upon him in leading the line at the club, and if he was able to find form with the Black Cats in that first or second season, they may have returned to the Championship earlier.
On the other hand, Grigg’s difficulties up front left a vacancy for a striker, and that was filled by Ross Stewart, a striker that played a crucial role in getting Sunderland back to the Championship.
Stewart also helped the club pocket a vast sum of money after his move to Southampton, one that admittedly, but also unfortunately from Stewart’s perspective, came at a good time for the Black Cats due to the Scotsman’s injury issues.