Ross Stewart made the ‘tough decision’ to leave Sunderland in 2023, but his impact will never be forgotten

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It’s been three years since Ross Stewart scored the goal that ensured Sunderland returned to the Championship following relegation in 2018, and during that time plenty has changed.

Regis Le Bris has guided the Black Cats to the Championship play-offs in his first season in charge of the club, just two years after the club finished sixth on their return to the second tier.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	LeedsLeeds	46	29	13	4	95	30	65	100
2	BurnleyBurnley	46	28	16	2	69	16	53	100
3	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	46	28	8	10	63	36	27	90
4	SunderlandSunderland	46	21	13	12	58	44	14	76
5	CoventryCoventry	46	20	9	17	64	58	6	69
6	Bristol CityBristol City	46	17	17	12	59	55	4	68

However, a loss of form in the last few weeks has left Sunderland vulnerable to being picked apart by a Coventry City side whose improvements under Frank Lampard have been clear to see and there will be fears about their chances of progressing to Wembley.

Nevertheless, Stewart has sent a heartfelt message to his former club ahead of Friday night’s clash at the CBS Arena, as the Wearsiders look to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.

Ross Stewart pens message to Sunderland fans ahead of play-off semi-finals

The striker departed the Stadium of Light for Southampton following his former side’s defeat to Luton Town in the semi-finals of the 2023 play-offs, making the switch for £10m.

However, his time at St. Mary’s has not gone to plan, with injuries meaning that his game time over the last couple of seasons has been severely limited and a departure in the summer may be the best for all parties.

Despite this, he still looks back at his time in the north-east with positivity and he wrote a message to his former club’s supporters on Tuesday (via: safc.com): “I’ve got nothing but good things to say about the club and I loved every minute of my two-and-a-half years there.

“That’s mainly down to the supporters, the staff and my teammates. It’s a massive club, and definitely a lot bigger than I thought when I signed. It was a really tough decision to walk away from it, but I look back at some great memories.”

Stewart continued: “I’ll certainly be watching the next week or two in the play-offs and I wish them all the best.

“I hope they achieve promotion. It’s a club that should be playing in the Premier League.”

Ross Stewart will always have a place in the Black Cats’ history

While Sunderland’s Championship play-off record isn’t strong, they were excellent in their most recent League One final as they eased past Wycombe Wanderers in a 2-0 win.

Stewart was vital to their promotion on that sunny May day, finding the back of the net confidently on his right foot, leaving David Stockdale rooted on his line in the Chairboys’ goal.

The Black Cats will need a little bit of magic like that if they are to progress through to Wembley once again, with Coventry sure to provide a tough test after running out 3-0 winners in their most recent meeting in the league.

Nonetheless, the play-offs are about moments, and Stewarts lasting legacy at Sunderland is proof of that.