Gav says…
This is just the best news of the summer so far. I’m over the moon.
I don’t doubt for one second that Luke would’ve stayed for this season to be a part of this journey — no matter what part that is — but for the club to reward his hard work and loyalty with a new contract is heartening.
Nobody more than Luke deserves that reassurance that he’s valued and needed in what’s going to be an absolutely monumental twelve months for the football club, and the added bonus is that he’s probably been given a well-earned
pay bump, which I’m sure absolutely nobody will gripe at.
Luke is my favourite Sunderland player of all time. That’s probably a massive, bold statement, but to me he epitomises what a Sunderland player should be.
He’s the example that for the rest of time every single Sunderland player should hold themselves to aspire to be.
From day one, he’s shown Sunderland AFC nothing but respect and has given us everything that he can, and in an era where a footballer can go from scoring twenty-odd goals in the Premier League with full crowd tifos idolising them to being roundly hated because deep down that love wasn’t reciprocated, Luke is very different and in many ways, a throwback.
I could go on and on about Luke and I’m sure I probably will at many other points in the future, but the fact is that he’s a model example of what a Sunderland footballer should be, and not only that, he’s a great person, a great father and a great husband.
I hope he never leaves Sunderland and that he has a job for life here, as a player, a coach, or whatever else it could possibly be. Sunderland AFC is most definitely a better football club with him as a part of it, so this contract news is a massive boost and bonus at a time when it feels like the good news just won’t stop coming.
Delighted.
Alex Charlton says…
Where do I even begin to describe what Luke O’Nien means to this football club?
His debut was pretty forgettable, but he’s adapted, grown and fallen in love with Sunderland.
O’Nien isn’t like any other modern footballer. He would do anything for the club and you can tell he means everything he says and does on Wearside.
Yes, his minutes will reduce, and many will think he can’t cut it in the Premier League, but he’s worth more than his minutes on the pitch — O’Nien is Mr Sunderland, and he’ll continue rocking here until his last breath.
Nic Wiseman says…
What a guy.
His dedication to the cause and desire to improve and to help others is second to none, and his antics on the pitch are infectious.
At Wembley, we were ten rows behind the goal where all the goals went in. When Eliezer Mayenda’s went in, my abiding memory is of Luke haring down the side of the pitch, arm in sling, to celebrate with Eli.
His personality clearly shapes the dressing room, and Tony Mowbray always used to describe him as a wonderful human being. You can’t get higher praise than that.
It’s great to see the club tying up existing players as well as securing new players, and who’s to say O’Nien might take to the Premier League like a duck to water? If he does, not many will be surprised.
Tom Albrighton says…
Luke can infuriate you. He can drive you to despair and at times, he can be daft to a fault.
He can also be the hardest player to beat on the pitch, timing tackles to perfection, winning headers against players one foot taller and pinging diagonals with either foot.
He’s proven his critics — myself included — wrong time and time and time again, and his passion, drive, determination and never-say-die attitude embody both a football club and the city.
Some players can write whatever wage they want on a contract but when it comes to O’Nien, he can write any length of time down he so wishes. From being released by Watford to the Premier League via League One, Luke deserves this.
