Sunderland beat Leeds 1–0 midweek with what many called a depleted team. The trip to Elland Road was not without its dramas: a Leeds disallowed goal jangled the nerves somewhat before Habib Diarra struck from the spot to take Sunderland to the much-coveted 40-point mark. Yet the highlight of the story has to be Luke O’Nien’s involvement. Named captain on his first Premier League start, Luke played a blinder and won the Man of the Match gong as a reward for his efforts.
In his post-match Instagram
post, Luke spoke about how tough and long the road to this moment was. As a player, he has pretty much seen it all. He’s played in every one of the English Football Leagues, as well as a spell in non-league football. O’Nien has seen everything English football has to offer, and he’s dealt with it marvellously.
O’Nien’s Sunderland story began in 2018, with the club newly relegated to League One. Sunderland’s number 13 has since admitted that he felt he had a complete stinker in his first match. O’Nien, then a midfielder, was played alongside another young player in Bali Mumba but was hooked at half-time.
The next time we saw him was at right back, a position he allegedly lied about having played in before just so Jack Ross would put him back in the side. The lie worked; O’Nien performed well enough to become Ross’s choice at right back going forward.
From then on, O’Nien became known as a utility player. Happy to be played in any position and give it his all, we’ve seen Luke grace the midfield, the wing, the full-back, and the centre-half positions in his career in red and white.
This has often led to an unfair reputation being placed on O’Nien. Many have perceived him as a jack of all trades whilst others have been harsher and constantly belittled his talent and wondered how he kept getting into the side.
Those who wondered how he keeps getting into this Sunderland side are often those who misunderstand O’Nien’s influence on this side. There is a reason why manager after manager after manager has kept selecting O’Nien. There is a reason why he was selected as first-team captain and then later club captain. It is because O’Nien is an incredibly talented player. A skilled player yes, but his mindset is perhaps his greatest asset.
O’Nien has a wonderful ability to dust himself off after disappointment. In fact, failure fears Luke because the man simply picks himself up and works even harder after every setback. The club captain has suffered agonising defeats at Wembley twice, sat through years of the club underachieving and yet has helped pull us through each time. There probably couldn’t be a better role model for children looking to play the sport; O’Nien is very candid about times he has lapsed in confidence, yet he also talks just as candidly about how hard he worked to come back from that.
Furthermore, many Sunderland fans have greatly underestimated quite how talented a player needs to be to not only play in four different positions but play in them competently. As previously mentioned, Luke has taken to each position he’s been asked to play with aplomb. Whilst it may not have been glorious and flashy each time, the importance of having someone in your team who can do that is not to be understated.
His standout performances against Leeds and against Oxford a few weeks ago show a talented defender. He is a workhorse but also a keen tactician. He can see the game well and is often a perfect blend of defender and midfielder, a player just as comfortable at winning the ball as he is recycling it with a pinpoint pass. He’s a trusted performer, hence why he has over 300 Sunderland appearances to his name.
It takes an inconceivably great tactical understanding of the game to be able to reassign your position regularly and play to a high quality each time. Luke has managed this every time as evidenced by the fact that (until this season) he was a regular starter week in, week out under every manager Sunderland have had since he joined the club. This is also bolstered by the fact that he is a born leader. People follow O’Nien’s example, they admire his work ethic, and they also like him for who he is. O’Nien has gone from a young lad who doubted himself after a poor start to a seasoned professional boasting an impressive list of achievements.
Luke’s likeability is also incredibly refreshing. He quickly became my favourite player when he joined because he brought so much energy. In a world where players are almost robotic thanks to hard hours of media training, Luke is resolutely authentic in the way he approaches both playing and being interviewed.
From playing creative yet devious mischief-maker on the pitch to the astonishingly honest interviews he gives off it, O’Nien represents a rare breed of player in the modern game. He has something about him; he is a player that you can just as well perceive as a normal person as well as a football player. He is down to earth and accessible in a way that many footballers simply are not nowadays.
Ultimately, Luke O’Nien represents something that I doubt Sunderland AFC will have again in a very long time. It is inconceivable to think that we may stumble on a player as committed and passionate about the club as he has been. It is just as inconceivable that we will find someone as adept at leadership and as personable too. Simply, Luke is one in a million and it is time that we accepted as much.
The moniker of Mr Sunderland is exactly what it says on the tin; he is an excellent ambassador for the club. One of the reasons he is my favourite Sunderland player is likely that we share a history of not being from Wearside but falling in love with the area just the same. With advocates like Luke who are clearly proud to play at the club and love the area and its people too, the name of our great city and its club are in safe hands.
