When Trai Hume arrived at Sunderland in January 2022 from Linfield for just £200,000, the club was still stuck in League One, desperately searching for a way back to English football’s top table.
The Northern Ireland defender signed a four-and-a-half-year contract after being promised the club had ambitions for “bigger and better things.” Even then, few could have imagined just how quickly those promises would become reality.
Four years later, Hume etched his name into Sunderland folklore.
On the final day of the Premier League season, with European football on the line, the defender smashed home a brilliant first-time volley against Chelsea at the Stadium of Light — a goal that helped secure a famous 2-1 victory and send Sunderland into the Europa League for the first time in 53 years.
The scenes at full-time were unforgettable. Fans celebrated wildly as the Black Cats completed one of the most remarkable journeys English football has seen in recent years.
From League One to Europe in Four Years
Sunderland’s rise has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Back in 2022, the club defeated Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 in the League One play-off final at Wembley to finally escape the third tier. It was the first step of a climb that few supporters dared to dream about.
Promotion to the Championship was followed by another dramatic play-off success last season, when Sunderland secured a return to the Premier League after eight years away.
Now, just one year later, they are preparing for European nights under the lights at the Stadium of Light.
For Hume, the achievement still feels surreal.
“Last year was emotional for me because it was a dream to play in the Premier League,” he told BBC Match of the Day.
“I didn’t think we could get here and make Europe, but we’ve done it. We’ll give everything next season.”
Regis Le Bris Transforms Sunderland
While Sunderland’s rebuild began years earlier, many believe the appointment of head coach Regis Le Bris in 2024 completely changed the club’s direction.
The French manager inherited a side that had finished sixth and then 16th in the Championship in previous campaigns. Expectations were modest at best.
In his first season, Sunderland finished 24 points behind automatic promotion places and scored only 58 goals in 46 league matches. Their eventual promotion required late drama, including an injury-time winner against Coventry City in the play-off semi-finals and another stoppage-time goal from Tom Watson in the final against Sheffield United at Wembley.
Few expected them to survive in the Premier League.
Instead, Sunderland shocked everyone.
Le Bris built a fearless, hard-working side that refused to back down against England’s elite. The Black Cats finished seventh with 54 points — an incredible achievement for a newly promoted team.
They recorded 14 wins, 12 draws, and 12 defeats, finishing only six points behind Liverpool in the Champions League places.
Speaking after the decisive victory over Chelsea, Le Bris praised both his players and supporters.
“It’s amazing. Outstanding,” he said.
“The stadium is crazy now and the fans deserve this. The planets aligned today, but we still had to do the job.”
He also described the success as “a massive collective achievement,” highlighting the togetherness that has driven Sunderland’s rise.
Sunderland Defied Expectations
Recent history suggested promoted clubs were doomed to fail.
The previous two Premier League seasons saw all three promoted sides immediately relegated back to the Championship. Sunderland, however, completely rewrote the script.
Not only did they survive, they thrived.
The Black Cats completed a league double over Chelsea and also beat Newcastle home and away during the campaign. They earned valuable draws against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United, proving they belonged among the country’s best teams.
Former England striker Ellen White praised Sunderland’s incredible home form.
“The fortress that is the Stadium of Light and the atmosphere there has been unbelievable,” she said on BBC Final Score.
“Those fans going away in Europe next season must be buzzing.”
Smart Recruitment Made the Difference
Sunderland backed their Premier League return with major investment, spending £161 million on 15 new players during the summer transfer window.
But unlike many promoted teams before them, Sunderland recruited wisely.
Brian Brobbey arrived from Ajax and quickly became a key figure in attack, finishing as the club’s top scorer with seven Premier League goals. Experienced defender Nordi Mukiele added leadership at the back after joining from Paris Saint-Germain.
Perhaps the biggest bargain of all was Granit Xhaka. Sunderland paid £13 million for the former Arsenal midfielder, who became the heartbeat of Le Bris’ midfield.
Goalkeeper Robin Roefs impressed throughout the season, while Noah Sadiki’s energy and technical ability gave Sunderland another important dimension.
Le Bris successfully blended experienced signings with hungry young talent, creating a squad that consistently performed above expectations.
A Club Reborn
For Sunderland supporters, this season has felt like the reward for years of pain and frustration.
The club endured relegations, instability, and heartbreak before finally finding a clear direction again.
Now, they are heading into Europe.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Hume admitted.
“Coming into the season, nobody gave us a chance to stay up, let alone qualify for Europe.
“We’ve worked our socks off and fully deserve it. The fans are the heartbeat of this club, and they’ve been through some tough times.”
Former Premier League striker Jermaine Beckford also praised the transformation under Le Bris.
“He’s done an unbelievable job getting the players together and making them believe they can achieve anything.”
The challenge now will be maintaining that momentum as Sunderland prepare for the demands of Premier League and Europa League football next season.
But after everything this club has achieved over the past four years, few would dare doubt them anymore.
