The 2021–22 season was Sunderland's 143rd year in their history and fourth consecutive season in League One. Along with the league, the club competed in the FA Cup, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy. The season covers the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022.
Sunderland finished fifth in the regular season, entering the EFL League One play-offs. They beat Sheffield Wednesday over two legs in the semi-final and Wycombe Wanderers in the final at Wembley to secure a return to the EFL Championship.
First team squad
Squad No. Name Nationality Position(s) Age Ends Signed from Apps Goals Goalkeepers 1 Lee Burge GK 2022 Coventry City 61 0 20 Anthony Patterson GK 2023 Academy 6 0 31 Jacob Carney GK 2023 Manchester United 0 0 35 Harrison Bond GK 2022 Academy 0 0 39 Ron-Thorben Hoffmann GK 2022 Bayern Munich (loan) 4 0 47 Jack McIntyre GK 2023 Everton 0 0 Defenders 2 Niall Huggins RB 2025 Leeds United 4 0 5 Danny Batth CB 2023 Stoke City 0 0 6 Callum Doyle CB 2022 Manchester City (loan) 10 0 16 Jordan Willis CB 2022 Coventry City 60 2 17 Dennis Cirkin LB 2024 Tottenham Hotspur 9 0 19 Arbenit Xhemajli CB 2022 Neuchâtel Xamax 1 0 26 Bailey Wright CB 2022 Bristol City 56 3 30 Patrick Almond CB 2023 Academy 0 0 32 Trai Hume RB 2026 Linfield 0 0 34 Tyrese Dyce LB 2023 West Brom 0 0 38 Cameron Jessup CB 2023 Crystal Palace 0 0 40 Nathan Newall LB 2023 Guiseley 0 0 41 Kenton Richardson RB 2022 Hartlepool United 0 0 42 Ethan Kachosa RB 2023 Leeds United 0 0 58 Zak Johnson RB 17 2023 Academy 0 0 Midfielders 4 Corry Evans CM 2023 Blackburn Rovers 6 0 8 Elliot Embleton AM 2022 Academy 22 2 11 Lynden Gooch AM 2022 Academy 175 24 13 Luke O'Nien CM 2024 Wycombe Wanderers 150 13 15 Carl Winchester CM 2023 Forest Green Rovers 31 4 18 Ellis Taylor LW 2024 Academy 1 0 21 Alex Pritchard AM 2023 Huddersfield Town 10 0 23 Jack Diamond RW 2024 Academy 38 5 24 Dan Neil CM 2023 Academy 19 1 25 Jack Clarke RW 2022 Tottenham Hotspur (loan) 0 0 27 Jay Matete CM 2026 Fleetwood Town 0 0 28 Aiden McGeady LW 2022 Everton 144 35 36 Cieran Dunne LW 2022 Falkirk 0 0 43 Harrison Sohna CM 2023 Aston Villa 0 0 45 Stephen Wearne AM 2022 Middlesbrough 0 0 46 Sam Wilding DM 2022 West Brom 0 0 51 Thomas Scott CM 18 2023 Northampton Town 0 0 52 Joseph Ryder LW 17 2023 Academy 0 0 53 Ben Middlemas CM 17 2023 Academy 0 0 60 Caden Kelly CM 17 2023 Academy 0 0 77 Patrick Roberts RW 2022 Manchester City 0 0 Forwards 7 Leon Dajaku ST 2022 Union Berlin (loan) 4 2 9 Nathan Broadhead ST 2022 Everton (loan) 6 1 10 Jermain Defoe ST 2022 Rangers 93 37 14 Ross Stewart ST 2023 Ross County 24 10 22 Will Grigg ST 2022 Wigan Athletic 57 8 37 Will Harris ST 2022 Burnley 0 0 48 Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka ST 2022 IK Sirius 14 3
Pre-season friendlies Sunderland announced they will play friendlies against Spennymoor Town, Heart of Midlothian, York City, Harrogate Town, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City as part of the club's pre season preparations.
Competitions League One
League table
Results summary
Results by matchday
Matches The Black Cats fixtures were released on 24 June 2021.
Play-offs
Sunderland finished 5th in the regular 2021–22 EFL League One season, so were drawn against 4th placed Sheffield Wednesday in the Play-off Semi Final. The first leg took place at the Stadium of Light and the second leg took place at Hillsborough.
FA Cup
Sunderland were drawn at home to Mansfield Town in the first round.
EFL Cup
Sunderland were drawn away to Port Vale, Blackpool, Wigan Athletic, Queens Park Rangers and Arsenal in the first, second, third and fourth rounds and quarter final respectively.
EFL Trophy
Sunderland were drawn into Northern Group F alongside Bradford City, Lincoln City and Manchester United U21s. Two of the three group games were confirmed on July 22.
Player statistics Appearance summary
! colspan="18" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Goalkeepers
! colspan="18" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Defenders
! colspan="18" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Midfielders
! colspan="18" style="background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center"| Forwards
Goals record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name League One FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Play-Offs Total114STRoss Stewart 2400022629STNathan Broadhead 1002101338AMElliot Embleton 800019410STAiden O'Brien 2040065Own goal 50000557FWLeon Dajaku 40000414CMLuke O'Nien 30100421MFAlex Pritchard 40000424CMDan Neil 300104615CMCarl Winchester 30000328LWAiden McGeady 300003745CMStephen Wearne 00020226CBBailey Wright 2000024MFCorry Evans 20000277MFPatrick Roberts 10001283CBTom Flanagan 1000025DFDanny Batth 1000026DFCallum Doyle 10000225MFJack Clarke 10000248FWBenjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka 10000127AMJosh Hawkes 00100134DFTyrese Dyce 000101Total 79085496
Penalties record
Excludes penalties taken during Penalty shoot-outs. +RankNo.Nat.Po.NameLeague OneFA CupEFL CupEFL TrophyPlay-Offs TotalConversion RatioScored Missed Scored Missed Scored Missed Scored Missed Scored Missed Scored Missed 114 ST Ross Stewart 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 80%228 LW Aiden McGeady 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 100%310 ST Aiden O'Brien 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 100%411 MF Lynden Gooch 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0%Total 72001000008280%
Assists record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name League One FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Play-Offs Total121MFAlex Pritchard 7030212224CMDan Neil 7010088AMElliot Embleton 601108311MFLynden Gooch 600006428LWAiden McGeady 400004510STAiden O'Brien 1002037FWLeon Dajaku 3000036DFCallum Doyle 30000314STRoss Stewart30000325MFJack Clarke 200013617DFDennis Cirkin 2000024MFCorry Evans 200002715CMCarl Winchester 10000114CMLuke O'Nien 1000013CBTom Flanagan 10000126CBBailey Wright 10000127MFJay Matete 10000177MFPatrick Roberts 1000012DFNiall Huggins 00100123MFJack Diamond 00100118MFEllis Taylor 000101Total 52074366
Disciplinary record
Rank No. Nat. Po. Name League One FA Cup EFL Cup EFL Trophy Play-Offs Total 14CMCorry Evans 900100100000000110017LBDennis Cirkin 10000000000001001100211RWLynden Gooch 7000002001000001000315CMCarl Winchester 80100000000000080143CBTom Flanagan 80000000000000080013CMLuke O'Nien 50000020000010080014STRoss Stewart 60000010000010080058AMElliot Embleton 50100010000000060126DFBailey Wright 50010010000000070027MFJay Matete 600000000000100700621AMAlex Pritchard 30000000010010050076CBCallum Doyle 20000020000000040024MFDan Neil 40000000000000040025MFJack Clarke 30000000000000030089FWNathan Broadhead 200000000000000200918LWEllis Taylor 00000010000000010023RWJack Diamond 00000010000000010025CBOliver Younger 00000010000000010028MFAiden McGeady 01000000000000001030DFPatrick Almond 00000000010000010034DFTyrese Dyce 00000000010000010010STAiden O'Brien 10000000000000010033DFDenver Hume 0000001000000001005DFDanny Batth 10000000000000010077MFPatrick Roberts 1000000000000001007MFLeon Dajaku 10000000000000010010FWJermain Defoe 100000000000000100Total 8812200140040050011312
Transfers Transfers in Date Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1 July 2021 CB Cameron Jessup Crystal Palace Free transfer 1 July 2021 RB Ethan Kachosa Leeds United Free transfer 1 July 2021 LB Nathan Newall Guiseley Free transfer 1 July 2021 CM Harrison Sohna Aston Villa Free transfer 1 July 2021 CM Tom Scott Northampton Town Free transfer 1 July 2021 LW Tyrese Dyce West Bromwich Albion Free transfer 2 July 2021 GK Jacob Carney Manchester United Free transfer 9 July 2021 AM Alex Pritchard Huddersfield Town Free transfer 15 July 2021 CM Corry Evans Blackburn Rovers Free transfer 11 August 2021 LB Dennis Cirkin Tottenham Hotspur Undisclosed 20 August 2021 LB Niall Huggins Leeds United Undisclosed 26 August 2021 GK Jack McIntyre Everton Free transfer 22 December 2021 MF Nicky Gyimah Peterborough United Undisclosed 4 January 2022 RB Trai Hume Linfield Undisclosed 18 January 2022 CB Danny Batth Stoke City Free transfer 21 January 2022 RW Patrick Roberts Manchester City Undisclosed 1 February 2022 ST Jermain Defoe Rangers Free transfer 1 February 2022 CM Jay Matete Fleetwood Town Undisclosed 3 March 2022 DF Ugonna Emenike Free agent
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date until Ref. 16 July 2021 CB Callum Doyle Manchester City End of season 13 August 2021 CB Frederik Alves West Ham United End of season (terminated in January 2022) 16 August 2021 ST Nathan Broadhead Everton End of season 31 August 2021 ST Leon Dajaku Union Berlin End of season 31 August 2021 GK Ron-Thorben Hoffmann Bayern Munich End of season 26 January 2022 RW Jack Clarke Tottenham Hotspur End of season
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date until Ref. 31 August 2021 RW Jack Diamond Harrogate Town End of season 31 August 2021 ST Will Grigg Rotherham United End of season 31 August 2021 AM Josh Hawkes Tranmere Rovers 25 January 2022 24 September 2021 GK Anthony Patterson Notts County 20 November 2021 30 September 2021 CF Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka Southend United 28 October 2021 12 November 2021 RB Kenton Richardson Spennymoor Town 15 December 2021 31 December 2021 GK Anthony Patterson Notts County End of the Season 31 December 2021 CM Sam Wilding Leamington FC 5 February 2022 6 January 2022 CF Will Harris Barrow End of season 7 January 2022 AM Stephen Wearne Torquay United End of season 13 January 2022 GK Jack McIntyre Radcliffe 10 February 2022 14 January 2022 CB Patrick Almond Blyth Spartans End of season 24 March 2022 LB Tyrese Dyce Spennymoor Town May 2022 24 March 2022 DM Sam Wilding South Shields End of season
Transfers out Date Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. 30 June 2021 CB Bobby Beaumont Caernarfon Town Released 30 June 2021 ST Lee Connelly Queen of the South Released 30 June 2021 ST Mitchell Curry Inter Miami Released 30 June 2021 CM Jake Hackett Whitby Town Released 30 June 2021 CM Grant Leadbitter Retired Retired 30 June 2021 RW Chris Maguire Lincoln City Released 30 June 2021 GK Remi Matthews Crystal Palace Released 30 June 2021 LB Callum McFadzean Crewe Alexandra Released 30 June 2021 RB Conor McLaughlin Fleetwood Town Released 30 June 2021 CM Max Power Wigan Athletic Released 30 June 2021 CM Josh Scowen Wycombe Wanderers Released 30 June 2021 CB Brandon Taylor Darlington Released 30 June 2021 RW Ryan Wombwell Gateshead Released 1 July 2021 DM George Dobson Charlton Athletic Mutual consent 7 July 2021 ST Charlie Wyke Wigan Athletic Free transfer 16 July 2021 GK Oliver Basey Birmingham City Free transfer 20 September 2021 LW Francis Okoronkwo Everton Undisclosed 19 January 2022 CB Ollie Younger Doncaster Rovers Undisclosed 25 January 2022 LM Josh Hawkes Tranmere Rovers Undisclosed 26 January 2022 LB Denver Hume Portsmouth Undisclosed 31 January 2022 CB Tom Flanagan Shrewsbury Town Undisclosed 31 January 2022 LW Aiden O'Brien Portsmouth Undisclosed 24 March 2022 CF Jermain Defoe Retired 31 March 2022 CF Benjamin Mbunga-Kimpioka AIK Undisclosed
References