Sunderland

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Sunderland's link with Will Still is seemingly all but over already but confirmation may be imminent as Lens announce the departure of Franck Haise.

Still has reportedly decided to join the Ligue 1 side in favour of making the move to Wearside and Haise having now officially left Lens means there is likely an announcement of his successor incoming.

Reports suggest the prospect of European football, with Lens playing in the Conference League, was the deciding factor in Still opting against taking charge at Sunderland.

How do you feel about the Will Still saga and Sunderland's ongoing search for a head coach after seemingly missing out on him as their top target? Have your say here.

We asked for your reaction to Sunderland's Chris Rigg reportedly waiting to see who the next head coach is before committing his future to the club - or elsewhere. Here are some of your comments:

James: How are we in the situation where one of our brightest young talents can’t commit to their future because he doesn’t know who the manager will be? It’s been over 100 days since we sacked Beale? What is going on with our club? We need to keep him.

Alan: I think he has good potential but I've seen him put his head down in plenty of games and gone missing for periods of the game. In my opinion, he's not a forward and I believe this could be the reason for his performances. I originally thought the owners were going down the best route. Not now. Sell him, they will anyways.

Ron: Riggs is an upcoming youngster and already is establishing himself very well in the first team. To be selected as Captain for England U17s is an honour. He should stay and help to encourage some of the others from within the academy. He certainly has my vote to remain a superb player for the lads.

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Pascal Jansen has emerged as a potential new name linked with becoming Sunderland's next head coach.

Alan Nixon is reporting that Sunderland hold 'serious interest' in the Dutchman to take the helm at Stadium of Light.

Jansen was head coach at AZ for four years before being sacked in January but boasts an impressive 58% win rate at the Dutch club.

He was also previously a coach at PSV.

How would you feel about Jansen as Sunderland's next head coach? Have your say here.

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West Ham have confirmed they are in talks with Divin Mubamba to keep him at the club.

The striker has been a reported target for Sunderland this summer when his contract expires with the Hammers. Mubamba rejected an initial contract renewal and is said to be seeking more first team football.

Sunderland fans are clamouring for the club to sign a new striker and with experience in the Premier League and goals in the Europa Conference, Mubamba could fit the bill for the Black Cats.

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We asked what you would do about Jobe Bellingham after reports of Brentford and Crystal Palace being interested in the midfielder and Sunderland wanting £20million for him.

Here are some of your comments:

David: We have to keep Bellingham surely! We can’t just keep selling good young players. We should be developing them for our future - hence Tony Mowbray. We still haven’t got a proven centre forward, where did the Stewart money go? We still haven’t got a manager... What is going on? 40,000+ loyal fans deserve to know and deserve better!!

Jim: Forget about who stays and who goes at the minute, we need a manager like yesterday! Let them sort it out.

Andrew: I think we should keep Jobe and Chris Rigg should start most games.

Colin: Yes get rid of him. He is not as good as everyone thought. I won't be shedding any tears if he goes.

Mark: I'd keep Jobe for now. He is young and has potential to help the club up the table. It would be folly to keep selling our best players.

Ron: If the money is right for Jobe then let him go. The funds could then buy another decent striker, defender or midfielder. The Academy has produced some vey good players over the years who have gone on to some top Premier League teams and even played for England etc. If the new manager knows what he wants then give him the opportunity to buy the best.

Michael: The Club cannot keep letting players go just to cash in on them. Shades of Henderson and Pickford.

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Chris Rigg is reportedly waiting to see who will be brought in as Sunderland's new head coach before making a decision on his future according to The Echo, external.

The teenage midfielder has attracted interest from Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Manchester United but did recently hint he wants to be part of the Black Cats' return to the Premier League.

Rigg isn't the only one waiting for Sunderland's head coach search to come to a close. After more than 100 days since Michael Beale was sacked, fans are growing increasingly frustrated with the silence from the club.

How important is it for Rigg to stay at Sunderland? Have your say here.

Jobe Bellingham is reportedly attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs - and others across Europe too.

Last week it emerged Crystal Palace and Brentford were interested in the young midfielder. It has since been reported that Sunderland want more than £20million for Jobe and with three years apparently left on his deal, the club could get even more from him in future windows.

What would you do? Cash-in now or hold out for potentially more next year? Would you be sad to see Jobe leave? Have your say here.

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Sunderland's Dan Ballard has been reflecting on last season in a new interview with the club.

The defender has expressed a personal pride in his performances in the 2023-24 campaign despite a disappointing season for the Black Cats as a whole. Ballard has however called on the team to learn from the mistakes and improve as a result of them.

The 24-year-old says the play-offs should be the minimal expectation for Sunderland next season adding, "the Premier League is obviously the goal for the club and myself personally."

How do you rate Dan Ballard and how important he could be to Sunderland next season? Have your say here.

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Raphael Wicky is the latest name being reported as a possible candidate to the be Sunderland's next head coach.

As the Black Cats reach 100 days without a permanent head coach, The Sun are reporting former Swiss international Wicky is in the running.

Wicky won the domestic double in Switzerland last season with Young Boys but left in April so would require no compensation from Sunderland.

What do you think of Wicky and the time it's taken for the club to appoint a new head coach? Have your say here.

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Teenage midfielder Chris Rigg has indicated he will remain at Sunderland for at least next season in a new interview with the club, external.

The 16-year-old was asked about his goals and said he wants to become a first team regular, increase his goal involvements and get Sunderland back to the Premier League.

Rigg has been the focus of transfer speculation with Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United among clubs apparently interested.

The young midfielder is currently with England at the under-17s Euros where they have made it through the group stage and into the quarter finals.

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Will Still could still become Sunderland's next head coach despite reports last week indicating he was 'unlikely' to become the Black Cats' new boss.

The ex-Reims manager has been a favourite to take charge of Sunderland since the sacking of Michael Beale 99 days ago but reports emerged last week he had been interviewed by Norwich.

However, the Canaries look set to name Johannes Thorup as their new head coach instead.

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There has been an update on Sunderland's head coach search... from other clubs they are linked with.

BBC Radio Norfolk's Chris Reeve has reported Will Still has been at Norwich's Lotus Training Centre.

Danny Rohl is close to reaching a new agreement with current club Sheffield Wednesday according to BBC Radio Sheffield's Rob Staton.

Sky Germany are reporting Bo Svensson to Union Berlin is a 'done deal.'

Who are you hoping to become the next Sunderland head coach? How do you feel about the delay in the appointment? Have your say here.

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Reims' President Jean-Pierre Caillot has spoken about Will Still's exit from the French club.

He told France Bleu, “I think that the ‘Will Still effect’ meant that there were a lot of communications from him, a lot of requests.

"A more experienced coach would have protected himself more, and he went from being a nice guy with a fresh air, to someone who was a little lost in his communication and this was felt in his management of the team.”

“For six months, we could see that it was not the Will Still that we had chosen for over a year now, that things had changed. It was hard to imagine how the story could continue."

After a 4-1 loss at home to Clermont, Calliot says Still said "‘I have no more words, I don't know how to do it anymore.’"

They then had a meeting and agreed to mutually part ways.

How do you feel about Still after reading these comments from his previous employer? Have your say here.

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One of the candidates reportedly in the running to be Sunderland's next head coach, Bo Svensson is the number one target for Union Berlin.

According to German media, Svensson is the top choice for the Bundesliga side to be their next boss. The club narrowly avoided the German league's relegation play-offs this season.

The Danish coach previously managed Mainz and has been linked with the Union Berlin job before.

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Former Sunderland midfielder Yann M'Vila has been released by Championship rivals West Brom.

The Frenchman joined the Baggies last summer but only made 7 appearances. Prior to his move to the West Midlands, M'Vila was linked with a return to Wearside.

Fans often clamour for a comeback from the now 33-year-old who spent the 2015-16 campaign on loan at Sunderland - and could fancy the midfielder as an experienced replacement for outgoing club captain Corry Evans.

Would you like to see M'Vila back at Sunderland or is it time to move on? Have your say here.

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Seven years ago David Moyes left Sunderland after a disappointing season on Wearside.

The Black Cats were relegated to the Championship and are yet to return to the Premier League since.

Although Sunderland are searching for their next head coach and Moyes is out of work after leaving, it's unlikely he'd be welcomed back to the Stadium of Light.

What are your memories of the Moyes era at Sunderland? Have your say here.

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Two years ago today, Sunderland won the League One play-off final to secure promotion to the Championship.

Goals from Elliot Embleton and Ross Stewart gave the Black Cats a 2-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley in 2022.

What are your memories from the day? Let us know here.

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Marco Gabbiadini has revealed he has a heart disease and is to undergo surgery.

The former Sunderland striker and pundit on BBC Radio Newcastle told his Total Sport colleagues how he had spotted signs of a potential issue initially after some shoulder surgery.

He since went to get it checked by a GP and discovered he would need a triple heart bypass. Marco expressed how little he knew about heart disease prior to this revelation and found a lot of useful information from the British Heart Foundation.

You can listen to Marco sharing his story in full on BBC Sounds.

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Jobe Bellingham has been recognised by EA FC and has been given a special mixed league Team of the Season 92 rated card.

For comparison Mbappe, Haaland and De Bruyne are the game's highest rated male players and their regular cards are 91.

New players are added every Sunday - Gyokeres (94), Firmino (94), Bonucci (93) and Summerville (92) were among the other players added this week alongside the Sunderland midfielder.

Other previous Championship players include Vardy (92), Szmodics (90), Davis (91), Walker-Peters (89) and Dewsbury-Hall (90).

Jobe is the joint highest rated Championship player and the only Sunderland player to be recognised in the same category.

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Chris Rigg has been called-up by England for a place in their under-17 Euros squad.

The teenage midfielder has 27 youth caps for England and has captained the under-16 international side.

Rigg has become a regular in Sunderland's senior squad this season making 22 appearances for the Black Cats in the 23-24 campaign.

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Sunderland trio Corry Evans, Dan Ballard and Trai Hume have been called up to Northern Ireland's squad for upcoming international friendlies.

Corry Evans, who will be released by Sunderland at the end of his contract next month, has not played for Northern Ireland since he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January 2023, but the 33-year-old returned to training with his club in March.

His brother, Jonny, who is a former Sunderland player has been recalled to the squad too.

Defensive duo Dan Ballard and Trai Hume have also been named in the squad for the upcoming internationals with Spain and Andorra in June.

Charlie Hurley's funeral took place this afternoon where around 80 people paid their respects to the Sunderland legend.

The defender was named the club's player of the century in 1979 and made a total of 401 appearances for the Wearsiders between 1957 and 1969.

He also won 40 caps for Republic of Ireland and later went on to manage Reading.

"Charlie adored Sunderland and Sunderland will always adore him," the club said in a statement on the news of his death.

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The minutes from Sunderland's Supporters' Collective Meeting have been released.

Steve Davison and Kristjaan Speakman were not in attendance but new Chief Business Officer David Bruce, Head of Communications, Digital and Marketing Oscar Chamberlain, Ticket Office Manager Robert Holmes and Supporter Liaison Officer Chris Walters were there to meet members from Branch Liaison Council, Red and White Army and Senior Supporters' Association.

• David Bruce says 'Kyril Louis Dreyfus is 100% committed' to Sunderland.

• The club are committed to providing an overview of the organisation following Steve Davison's departure and David Bruce's new role.

• Following issues with direct debits not being taken when they should have been, the ticket office will be issuing a bank update and an SAFC email confirming how payment can be made. Robert Holmes reassured fans that everyone who has received a bank mandate has their season ticket protected, offered to look at individual cases and reiterated that no seats have been cancelled.

• Approximately 2,000 non-digital season tickets requests have been made. Anyone who has requested a non-digital season ticket will be contacted by the ticket office and asked five questions to help identify the support they need. Calls will begin on the week commencing 13th May. Most will be sent an SAFC branded, NFC season card before the season starts.

• Digital season tickets will be sent out from mid-July, approximately week commencing 16 July, one month before season starts. All physical cards will be sent via post, and nobody will have to collect them from the ticket office.

• The home kit collection is due for release at the end of June; the away kit at the end of July and the third kit at the end of August. When asked if it would be possible to buy a Sunderland shirt without a gambling logo on it: David Bruce has listened to fan concerns on this and is working on it.