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Alex Rae says Sunderland’s situation breaks his heart

31 Jan 2001: Andy Cole of Manchester United is held back from Alex Rae of Sunderland as the pair are dismissed during the Sunderland v Manchester U...
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Former Sunderland ace Alex Rae lifted the lid on his feelings regarding the current state of the club.

A,Sunderland fan looks on during the Sky Bet Championship match between Birmingham City and Sunderland at St Andrews on January 30, 2018 in Birmingham, England.

In a recent interview with Open Goal, ex-Sunderland midfielder Alex Rae has explained his feelings on the current state of the club.

Sunderland have had quite the fall from grace since dropping out of the Premier League last season, ending a decade-long run in England’s top flight.

Fans will have been hopeful of a Newcastle United type resurgence after the Magpies dominated the Championship to win automatic promotion in some style last season but, unfortunately for the Sunderland faithful, their fortunes have been somewhat different.

Chris Coleman’s men currently sit bottom of the table on 28 points, one point behind Burton Albion who have a game in hand. Four points would see them crawl out of the relegation zone but, given the form of the squad across the whole season, things are looking pretty dire around the Stadium of Light.

Chris Coleman manager of Sunderland reacts during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland and Reading at Stadium of Light on December 2, 2017 in Sunderland, England.

Speaking to Open Goal Rae, who played over 100 league games for the club between 1996 and 2001, reminisced about his time there, when his team won the Championship in emphatic fashion, and explained that his time with Sunderland was arguably his most enjoyable.

“We had really good momentum at the club and I absolutely loved it,” Rae revealed. “It was probably the fondest time [of my career] in terms of enjoying it.

“Even when you speak to Sunderland fans, that was a golden time for them.”

Josh Robson of Sunderland looks on during the Premier League Two match between Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland at The Lamex Stadium on December 19, 2017 in Stevenage, England.

When asked a question regarding his views on the current Sunderland situation, Rae simply replied, “It breaks me heart. I will go down and touch base with some friends and the club.

“They’re really, really struggling.”

Having been defeated heavily by promotion chasers Aston Villa earlier this week, Sunderland now face a trip to West London to take on QPR as they desperately look to pick up points in the hope of salvaging their season.

With just ten games to go, time is running out for Chris Coleman and co.