Luke O’Nien opens up on Newcastle abuse, early mistake and Sunderland fans after dramatic derby comeback
Sunderland defender Luke O’Nien admitted he leaned heavily on his teammates after a difficult moment early in the Tyne-Wear derby, revealing the abuse he received from the home crowd and praising the leadership within the squad following a dramatic 2-1 win at St James’ Park.
O’Nien was at fault for Newcastle United’s opener but produced a strong response in the second half as Sunderland turned the game around, and he was quick to highlight the support he received in a testing environment.
“There were moments throughout where we really had to show character - especially me when I gave them a goal,” O’Nien said. “I apologised to the lads after, but what I did say is I thank Granit, I thank the leaders in the group because they kept demanding the right thing.
“It’s a difficult, lonely place when you make a mistake, especially here. I took a few long throws and was getting abused for it, but I leant on the leaders there, and that meant a lot to me that I’ve got people like that I can lean on. To come out in the second half and just put that behind me and put in a performance to give us a platform to kick on - the leaders in there helped me in that big moment, and I’m very proud to have them in this team.”
Despite the early setback, Sunderland showed resilience to come from behind and secure all three points, with O’Nien describing the victory as one of the most meaningful of his career. “No, it was special,” he said when asked about the result. “Coming here to win against the odds, I think no-one fancied us apart from our own fans, as they always do. To give them the three points, it’s special, and the boys in there deserved it, and they enjoyed it.”
The defender also pointed to the club’s “Till the End” mantra as a defining feature of the group’s mentality, particularly given the late nature of Brian Brobbey’s winner. “I think whoever came up with the motto ‘Till the End’ deserves a statue,” he said. “Over the last year or so, I think that motto represents the club nicely. Bry’s winning goal there for us, I think it’s the perfect motto that should go down in history for us.”
O’Nien was full of praise for Granit Xhaka’s influence in the second half, revealing how the midfielder helped guide both him and the team through key moments. “Yes, listen, I’m going to keep mentioning it, but Granit was pivotal for me in that second half,” he added. “He kept saying what the game needed, where we needed to go, how we’re going to score. It was like a script that he was saying to me and it all unfolded.”
The 31-year-old also highlighted the collective effort across the team, with several players stepping up despite injuries and disruption to the starting XI. “There were some big performances in there. Omar next to me, Melker in goal - and VAR as well, thank you again,” he said. “But listen, the boys are solid.
“We’ve shown that from the very, very start. There’s boys that probably might not have been ready to be on the bench, but they were desperate to get back for it. These boys never give up, they keep fighting every single day, they keep demanding from each other, and we showed it today.”
Looking ahead, O’Nien made it clear Sunderland are not settling despite reaching the 40-point mark, insisting the squad will continue to push for more. “Yes, listen, I think 40 points was the first marker, and we’re looking for the next markers, and we’ve got to keep cracking on,” he said. “We’re not here to stop. You don’t get to this stage of the season and just stop. We keep demanding from each other, we keep pushing each other, and that’s healthy.
“We’ve got people that will be coming back from injury, everyone wants to start. If we keep pushing each other, keep playing like we did today, keep demanding from each other when our backs are against the wall, like the team did today, then we’re going to be in a good position.”
And O’Nien reserved special praise for Sunderland’s travelling support, who backed the team throughout and celebrated wildly at full-time. “Yes, they were important today. They were superb and listen, it’s what we do it for,” he said. “Here and them, the celebrations at the end - I think it’s a picture in my head that I’m never going to forget, and it’s special. So listen, a big thanks to them. Hopefully they get home safely, and just a big love and big thanks to them.”
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