What has happened to the last Sunderland side to play in the FA Cup fourth round back in 2022/23?
The Black Cats beat Everton on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Hill Dickinson Stadium to tee up this clash, which will be just their second fourth-round clash in the last 11 years. The last time they reached this stage was in the 2022/23 campaign, when Fulham beat them 3-2 at the Stadium of Light in a replay after a 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage, with Sunderland having beaten Shrewsbury Town 2-1 to get that far. While a relatively short amount of time has passed since that clash with the Cottagers, plenty has changed, with Sunderland returning to the Premier League and players coming and going. So what of the side that played that day?
Where are they now? The last Sunderland side to play in the FA Cup fourth round
Goalkeeper: Anthony Patterson
Anthony Patterson continued to be the undisputed No.1 for two years after this fixture, and was a key figure in their promotion campaign back to the Premier League. However, the academy graduate has since been pushed out by summer arrival Robin Roefs, and was loaned out to Millwall in January. Even there, however, he was an unused substitute against Wrexham in his first matchday squad.
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Right-back: Trai Hume
Trai Hume has truly run the gauntlet with Sunderland, playing with them in League One, the Championship and the Premier League. The Northern Ireland international is still a regular under Regis Le Bris, starting 24 Premier League matches so far this season.
Centre-back: Dan Ballard
Dan Ballard joined Sunderland from Millwall at the start of the 2022/23 campaign, when the Black Cats had just earned promotion back out of League One. Like his compatriot, Hume, he’s been a stalwart for the club ever since, and remains a regular in the top-flight, though he faces more competition for his place from the likes of Omar Alderete and Nordi Mukiele.
Centre-back: Danny Batth
Danny Batth joined in January 2022 and became a steadying force to help Sunderland climb out of League One, performing a similar no-nonsense role for a year back in the Championship. The veteran centre-back has since started touring the Championship, offering his experience to Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and, now, Derby County after leaving the Stadium of Light.
Left-back: Aji Alese
Aji Alese has never quite managed to establish himself as a regular starter for Sunderland. The left-back played just 20 Championship matches combined across the next two seasons following 2022/23, and after failing to appear for the senior team entirely upon Premier League promotion, he joined Portsmouth on loan in January.
Right-midfield: Patrick Roberts
Patrick Roberts remained a key attacking cog for Sunderland over the next two years, registering two goals and seven assists in the Championship last season en route to promotion. The former Celtic man even made a substitute appearance in the top-flight at the start of this season, and played against Huddersfield in the EFL Cup, before joining Birmingham City on loan. Roberts has three goals and four assists to his name with the Blues so far, making the move permanent in January.
Centre-midfield: Dan Neil
Like Patterson, Dan Neil emerged from the Sunderland academy and helped guide the club all the way through League One and the Championship, back into the Premier League. However, despite the key role he played in promotion last season, he was utterly marginalised at the start of 2025/26, seeing just 13 minutes of Premier League action across three appearances. Neil was loaned to Ipswich Town in January and it’s already been confirmed that the club won’t extend his contract, which expires this summer.
Centre-midfield: Edouard Michut
There was plenty of excitement when Edouard Michut arrived at Sunderland on loan from PSG in the summer of 2022, especially given he’d played eight times at senior level for the Parisians. On the pitch, he showed plenty of promise, adding real technical ability to Tony Mowbray’s side. However, he ultimately chose not to move to the Stadium of Light permanently. Since then, the Frenchman has made free moves to Adana Demirspor and Fortuna Sittard. He remains at the latter and has played 14 times for them in the Eredivisie this season.
Left-midfield: Jack Clarke
Jack Clarke scored the first of Sunderland’s two goals in this match as they attempted a late comeback. The winger was a prolific attacking force during his two-and-a-half years at the club, notching 28 goals and 23 assists in 114 appearances across all competitions, including 15 goals during the 2023/24 Championship campaign. He left for Ipswich in the summer of 2024 as the Tractor boys went up, but they suffered an immediate relegation, meeting Sunderland at the door as the Black Cats went up. Clarke failed to score in the Premier League, but has 12 goals to his name so far in the Championship this season.
Striker: Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo’s loan spell at Sunderland was a true success, with the Ivorian bagging 14 goals and four assists in 42 appearances. Since then, he’s slowly established himself as a key player for Manchester United, hitting 15 goals and 11 assists in 76 appearances over the last two-and-a-half years.
Striker: Abdoullah Ba
Abdoullah Ba has become something of a forgotten man at Sunderland. The Frenchman lost his place in the 2024/25 campaign, having struggled to find the net in the two years prior. He left on loan for Dunkerque at the start of this season, but having struggled to establish himself in the French second tier, he returned to Wearside and has scored two goals in two appearances in the National League Cup for the U21s.
Sub: Luke O’Nien - Still in Le Bris’ squad, but struggling for minutes behind the likes of Ballard, Mukiele and Alderete.
Sub: Alex Pritchard - Left for Birmingham in January 2024 and is now a free agent after a spell in Turkey with Sivasspor.
Sub: Jewison Bennette - Scored Sunderland’s second goal in this cup match. Joined Aris on loan in January 2024, and now plays in Ukraine for LNZ Cherkasy.
Sub: Pierre Ekwah - Form fluctuated constantly while at Sunderland. Made a loan move to St-Etienne permanent last summer but failed to establish himself, and is now at Watford on loan.
Sub:Chris Rigg - A serious talent and still only 18 years old. However, the midfielder will be looking for more opportunities soon, playing just 381 minutes across 10 appearances in the Premier League this season.
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