Darren Bent explains what’s strange about Sunderland fans

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Darren Bent spent around 18 months at Sunderland around a decade ago.

Darren Bent told Sky Sports (broadcast on 11/5 from 19:15) that he found Sunderland supporters to be strange in some cases, with the fans rarely voicing their frustration when things were not going well for the Black Cats, but rather staying away from the Stadium of Light altogether.

Bent spent around 18 months on Sunderland’s books, joining the club almost a decade ago following an underwhelming spell with Tottenham. He did well during his time on Wearside before leaving for Aston Villa in January 2011.

It has been a tough time for the Black Cats, who spent several years pulling off miraculous escapes in the Premier League before they tried their luck one too many times and fell into the Championship. Of course, their year in the second tier was even more disappointing as another relegation beckoned.

But Sunderland fans have a little more to smile about now, with Jack Ross’ men boasting a 1-0 lead on aggregate after the first-leg of their play-off semi-final with Portsmouth at the weekend.

Ahead of the game, Bent was asked what the pressure of playing for Sunderland is like. And he responded with an interesting answer about how the fans voice their displeasure.

“It’s quite a bit of a strange atmosphere because the time I was there even when we weren’t playing well they’d never boo, they’d never get on the players back, but they just wouldn’t turn up at times,” he told Sky Sports.

“It might be a full house on a Saturday we’d play a cup game midweek and there wouldn’t be half there. It is a strange place, but when it’s rocking they can make you feel like you’re walking on water because they are passionate. It is a club that deserves to be in the Premier League.”

Promotion will be all the supporters care about right now. But whether they go up or not, there can surely be no question that they appear to be in a much better position off the pitch following Stewart Donald’s arrival.

And if Sunderland do manage to get promoted, there is no question that they have the stature and the potential to return to the top flight at the first time of asking.