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Sunderland sent the Stadium of Light into ecstasy after winning their Championship play-off semi-final against Coventry City on Tuesday night.
Dan Ballard’s incredible 122nd-minute header broke Coventry City’s hearts, as Sunderland booked their place in the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United.
The Black Cats went into the play-offs on a five-match losing streak in the league. As such, many questioned whether this would impact their chances of beating the Sky Blues.
Fortunately, after weeks of knowing their top six fate, Regis Le Bris’ men managed to turn it on, and now they’re one match away from sealing the lucrative Premier League prize money.
It’s going to be difficult to overcome a Sheffield United side spearheaded by Chris Wilder, but if they do emerge victorious, one Sunderland player will write his name into the history books.
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Dan Neil can become first homegrown Sunderland captain to win at Wembley since Raich Carter
Dan Neil has been the beating heart of Sunderland’s midfield for a few years now, and his importance to Le Bris’ setup is arguably the biggest it’s ever been.
The 23-year-old made 44 appearances in the Championship in 2024/25, only missing the two fixtures against Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers.
It isn’t just on the pitch where the midfield metronome is important, though, as the Sunderland captain possesses exceptional leadership skills.
After the win over Coventry, Neil praised Ballard as an ‘outstanding centre-back’, and it’s not the first time that he’s showered his teammates with compliments.
In the Championship play-off final, he can become the first North East homegrown player to captain Sunderland to a win at Wembley since the legendary Raich Carter in 1937.
As pointed out by journalist James Copley, Barry Venison in 1985 and George Honeyman on two occasions in 2019 both failed in their quests.
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Neil praises ‘unbelievable’ Sunderland mentality
Carter is one of Sunderland’s biggest legends, cementing his place in the history books as one of their greatest ever forwards.
The Englishman also played for Derby County, Hull City and Cork Athletic across an illustrious career that is recognised by many in the professional game.
It would be incredible if Neil could become the first homegrown player to captain Sunderland to glory at Wembley, and ahead of the clash, he praised the ‘unbelievable’ mentality of the squad.
“It was unbelievable,” he said via BBC Sport. “I think that just shows the character of the squad. The motto is quite fitting, ’til the end. We certainly kept going ’til the end.
“I thought the last 15 minutes of extra time was outstanding. Tired legs. Fatigued mentally as well as physically because they had a lot of the ball again but we took the game by the scruff of the neck a little bit in the last 15 and we actually created some decent chances and kept the ball a little bit better and big Dan Ballard pops up with a special moment.”