Sunderland’s strikeforce of Niall Quinn and Kevin Phillips had been pivotal to the club’s success in the late 90s, but as the 2000s started in earnest Peter Reid’s thoughts turned to succession planning.
And it was a striker from France who Reidy presumably thought could step into Phillips’s boots when the time came – and was announced On This Day 24 years ago today.
David Bellion, a fast, exciting forward from French club AS Cannes, arrived at the Stadium Of Light on a Bosman, after being highly recommended by ex Sunderland midfielder Eric Roy.
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Roy – who spent a couple of years at Sunderland in the Stadium of Light’s early Premiership years – was acting as Reid’s ‘French Adviser’, and Bellion was one of the first players he’d recommended to his former gaffer.
Bellion signed a two-year contract, and said:
> _I am very happy to be coming to Sunderland and I am looking forward to meeting and training with the team on Monday._
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> _I have followed the Premiership on television and I have been very impressed with Sunderland and the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light._
Reidy was happy to bring the player to the club, and was happy with how his relationship with Roy was developing.
> _He is a young player with a lot of potential - he’s got excellent pace and has really impressed me._
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> _Eric and I have kept in touch and he is a person whose opinion I value._
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> _He has extensive contacts and a great knowledge of what’s happening in France._
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> _Eric was an excellent buy for us and did an important job for us on the pitch._
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> _We wished him well when he left - he was a good professional - and we stay in touch._
Reid was looking to inject some youth into the team, and as well as Bellion he’d also brought Dutch central defender Baki Mercimek to the club, as well as agreeing to pay Argentinos Juniors £3.5m for youth international midfielder Nicolas Medina.
Bellion of course went on to play for Sunderland, scoring the only goal in Peter Reid’s last league win as Sunderland manager, a 1-0 victory against Aston Villa.
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After Reid’s departure, he was signed by Alex Ferguson for Manchester United, but didn’t quite cut the mustard at Old Trafford – and after a similarly unimpressive loan spell at West Ham returned to his home country, turning out for Nice, Bordeaux and Red Star.