There are just six days to go ‘til 40,000 Sunderland fans descend on Wembley Stadium for the Checkatrade Trophy Final.
Ahead of the trip to the capital, safc.com looks at players who have represented both the Black Cats and Sunday’s opponents, Portsmouth…
JERMAIN DEFOE
37 goals in two and a half seasons was more than enough to endear Sunderland fans to Jermain Defoe who was arguably our best goalscorer since Kevin Phillips was at the club.
Much like Super Kev, Defoe had a knack for scoring against our friends up the road - including this screamer at the Stadium of Light back in 2015.
Before Defoe was banging them in for Sunderland, he spent one year at Portsmouth and scored 17 goals including the winner against Sunderland in the 2007/08 season.
KEVIN BALL
Well, what more can be said about Sunderland legend Kevin Ball? He epitomises everything that Sunderland fans want in a player. Not only was he a ‘hardman’ but he was a brilliant footballer who could contribute in every area of the pitch.
Bally played over 100 games for Portsmouth from 1982-90 and then moved to Sunderland where he amassed nearly 400 games including two Division One titles and an FA Cup final appearance.
YOUNES KABOUL
Kaboul signed for Portsmouth at the start of the 2008/09 season from Tottenham Hotspur.
He played 50 games for Pompey during his 18-month spell there and helped lead them to an FA Cup final during the 2009/10 season - though he missed the final because he signed for Spurs.
Dick Advocaat brought Kaboul to Sunderland in the summer of 2015 and it turned out to be a superb signing as he helped lead the club to survival building a stunning partnership with Lamine Kone.
His best moment in red and white came against Newcastle as he marauded up the field to assist Steven Fletcher for our third goal in a 3-0 win.
Unfortunately, he left the club in 2016 to sign for Watford citing personal reasons.
PAUL HARDYMAN
Hardyman began his career at Portsmouth and played nearly 150 games for the club over a six-year span.
The England under-21 international transferred to Sunderland for a fee of £130k in 1989 and spent three years with the Black Cats.
In that time, he helped the team earn a promotion to the top division and played in the 1992 FA Cup final defeat against Liverpool at Wembley.
LIAM LAWRENCE
Mick McCarthy brought Lawrence to Sunderland in the summer of 2004 from Mansfield Town.
He came with a few other lower league players like Dean Whitehead, Danny Collins and Andy Welsh and they all hit the ground running to help earn Sunderland a promotion back to the Premier League as champions.
The following year was less of a success as the lads were relegated from the top flight and Lawrence soon moved onto Stoke City where he enjoyed another promotion.
In 2010 he joined Pompey and played 55 games for the club over two seasons but could not help stop their demise down the divisions.
