Luke O’Nien has been reflecting on his recent form and Sunderland’s season so far
Luke O’Nien has spoken of his ‘unbelievable pride’ at reaching the Premier League but insists he is only just getting started at the level.
O’Nien was a guest on BBC Radio Newcastle’s Total Sport programme on Tuesday night, which was broadcast live from the Academy of Light and featured a number of club figures. O’Nien, who joined the club during its first season following relegation to League One, has had to be patient for his opportunity in the top tier but has recently underlined his status as an important player in the squad.
Despite an early error in the Tyne-Wear derby, O’Nien was a key player in Sunderland’s win and underlined his strong recent form.
“I'm very proud, and I've said how much debt I owe to my family and the people who have helped me along the way,” O’Nien said.
“The funny thing is however I felt playing non-league, I felt the exact same way playing in the Premier League. There's unbelievable pride yes but if there's anyone in non-league chasing the Premier League like I was, the thing I'd say is there's no getting here and feeling 'I've made it, I'm done'. It's the same feeling, if you don't enjoy non-league you won't enjoy the Premier League. There's no getting to the top of the mountain and thinking, I've done it. The fun work is climbing the mountain because as soon you get there, you're looking at the next challenge.”
Luke O’Nien on the ‘unsung hero’ of Sunderland’s recent success
Having missed much of pre-season with a shoulder injury sustained in the play-off final win over Sheffield United, O’Nien had to be patient in waiting for his opportunity this season and says he used goalkeeper Simon Moore as an example.
“It was really difficult, but opportunities come every single day in training so it depends how you want to frame it,” he said.
“I had opportunities every single day in training to impact and contributing to a football club goes well beyond just starting a game.
“If I go down now to my locker here at the training ground, I've got a Simon Moore shirt in there. How many games did he play in our promotion season last year? Maybe around four, with three clean sheets, conceded two goals. So he played four games and he was the most important cog in our machine that won promotion last season. I have his shirt in my locker because if I'm not playing, it reminds me to be like him. He is a wonderful human and he puts that first, and then it's the footballer. He just has this way of connecting the group, demanding from everyone and just making sure everyone holds the standard of what this club and this city is. For me, he'll be the unsung hero of what we've done here. He won't get the mural on the side of a wall but his shirt is there in my locker and I know that anyone who has ever played with him, if they hear this they'll know straight away exactly what I'm talking about. I wouldn't even need to explain it to them. “
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