It was a terrific night in the North East of England last night as Sunderland secured their place in the Championship play-off final with a late winner against Coventry City, and Amad Diallo absolutely loved it.
Sunderland had taken a slender 2-1 lead into the second leg, after their star man Eliezer Mayenda scored late on at the CBS Arena last week.
In an absolutely rocking Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, Sunderland protected that advantage for 76 minutes before Ephron Mason-Clark sent the tie to extra-time with a neat volley to level up the aggregate scoreline.
Then, with 31 minutes and 59 seconds of the allotted 32 minutes of extra-time played, the ‘immense’ Dan Ballard rose to the occasion, quite literally, to head home the equaliser on the night and the winner for Sunderland to book their place in the final.
It was a stirring night of football, and one that Sunderland supporters, neutrals, and even former players enjoyed a great deal.
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
What Amad Diallo said about Sunderland’s win
In attendance at the Stadium of Light, funnily enough, was Manchester United star Amad Diallo. Having spent the season on loan with the Black Cats back in 2022/23, he was there to cheer on his former club against Coventry City.
And, naturally, he loved what he saw. Taking to social media after the game, the young winger praised Sunderland’s efforts and made a big claim that fans will enjoy.
In reply to Sunderland’s celebratory post, he wrote: “Congrats lads. Back where you deserve to be.”
It’s the second post in a week that Diallo has shared regarding Sunderland, after posting on May 9 to say: “I want to wish good luck to Sunderland for the semis.”
We wonder if Diallo has circled the Championship play-off final date in his diary for a little trip to Wembley to support his former team?
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images
Remembering Amad Diallo’s fantastic loan spell at Sunderland
Amad Diallo’s spell on Wearside was a special one for a number of reasons. Not only did he develop immensely as a player, but he also helped Sunderland make it to the Championship play-offs that year, too.
The Ivorian winger scored 13 goals in 37 league games for the Black Cats, plus another in the play-offs, and is still remembered fondly by fans of the club for his contribution at the Stadium of Light.
Statistics Amad Diallo at Sunderland
Games 42
Minutes 3,016
Goals 14
Assists 4
Clearly, he feels the same way, too. Indeed, the Man Utd star has spoken very openly in the past about how Tony Mowbray and everyone at Sunderland helped him on his way to becoming a success at Old Trafford.
There’s an argument to be made that Diallo is one of the best loan signings in the Championship’s history, and to be honest, it’s hard to disagree.