Australia international Matthew Jurman has suggested that he would be open to returning to Sunderland, telling FTBL that a second spell on Wearside would be a ‘mad experience’.
If Black Cats fans read that sentence with a rather blank expression on their face, we can understand why.
Because, while Jurman did spent some time in the north east as a teenager, a brief trial spell with Sunderland never materialised into a full-time contract.
But, over a decade on, a 30-year-old centre-back with eight Socceroos caps to his name still looks back on his time at one of England’s most historic clubs with a great deal of fondness – even if he didn’t get the offer he was hoping for.
“He facilities at the training centre in Sunderland were absolutely unbelievable,” remembers Jurman, who’s time in England corresponded with Roy Keane’s time as the Black Cats boss. “I stayed near the water in Roker I think, and they really looked after me. It was a nice place.
“And while I was training at Sunderland, they had another young player called Jordan Henderson. I’m a Liverpool fan and now he’s their captain, so that was pretty amazing.”
FTBL points out that, with a British passport in his pocket, the Western Sydney Wanderers defender could still return to England if Sunderland were to come calling again.
And Jurman, who featured at the 2018 World Cup, would struggle to turn down such an opportunity. The phrase ‘unfinished business’ comes to mind.
“It’d be a mad experience to play at a club like Sunderland,” he adds.
With Alim Ozturk, Tom Flanagan, Joel Lynch and fellow Australian Bailey Wright all bidding farewell to the Stadium of Light recently, there is certainly place in Phil Parkinson’s squad for a 6ft 3ins centre-half who knows and loves life in the north east.
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