Sunderland owner Stewart Donald shares his opinion of potential Lee Cattermole testimonial game

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Some Sunderland faithful want the long-serving Black Cats midfielder to be honoured as he enters his 10th year at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland owner Stewart Donald has agreed that Lee Cattermole should be in line for a testimonial and disclosed a conversation he had with Charlie Methven when they first arrived at the Stadium of Light about the long-serving midfielder.

The 31-year-old has been with the Black Cats since moving from Wigan Athletic in the summer of 2009 and has made 262 appearances for the Wearside club in all appearances, scoring 10 goals and registering 11 assists according to Transfermarkt.

With Cattermole entering his 10th season at Sunderland, there has been demand amongst some fans for the club putting on a game in honour of his service at the Stadium of Light, and speaking to the Roker Report podcast, Donald gave his views on the prospect as well as hinting at the possibility of holding it in the summer.

“I think Lee Cattermole should get his testimonial, yes,” said Donald. “I think he deserves it. We had a conversation this time last year about Lee when we first came in, regarding his agent and the bottom line is, from the moment I’ve met him and seen him around the place, you can’t begrudge a penny that the boy earns.

“I’m not quite sure what the rules around testimonials are. But I think we had one game planned here [at the Stadium of Light] for the summer and I did wonder whether we should hijack that for his testimonial. I haven’t had that conversation, but I think he should have one, is fully deserving of one as a club we should make sure that happens.”

Cattermole, who alongside Sunderland and Wigan has also played for Middlesbrough, is under contract at the Stadium of Light until the summer of 2021, having last renewed back in 2015 according to Transfermarkt.

He made 36 appearances in all competitions during the 2018-19 season as Jack Ross’s side reached the finals of the EFL Trophy and the League One playoffs.