There has been talk recently of a contract renewal for Luke O’Nien and the versatile player has expressed his desire to give his all for the club while he remains in the north-east.

What did he say?

The 25-year-old has been one of a few consistent players since joining the Black Cats in the summer of 2018, and although his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, there is an option to renew for a further year.

Phil Parkinson has spoken about activating that clause, and it would probably be a wise move not just because of O’Nien’s ability, but because of his attitude also.

That could prove important to turning around the team’s current fortunes. The Black Cats aren’t short of players who have achieved big things in their career and based on that fact they should be performing a lot better than they are, which hints at a lack of desire and poor attitude, but O’Nien is the exception to that – and that’s why many fans love him.

Speaking to The Chronicle on the topic of a possible contract renewal, he said:

“I owe a lot of people credit for me being here because they’ve worked with me, they’ve been patient with me – the fans as well – and until whenever my contract runs out, I’ll make sure to that last day that I give my all for this club.

“I’m very proud to be a part of this great club.

“I get to work every single day to push my mind and body to the best of my capabilities to help this club win the league. You’ve got thousands of people coming to support you every week, so why wouldn’t you be grateful?”

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Positive mindset

It is refreshing to hear a Sunderland player showing the passion he has to play for Parkinson’s men, as it appears that has been too rare this campaign, and indeed something which has been lost significantly over the past few years.

There are question marks over why some players joined the club and whether money or the chance to play in the Premier League was the primary motive.

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That hangover is still present at the club, and fans certainly feel weary of endless disappointment.

The least they deserve is individuals working hard and doing all they can to return the side to the Championship, and if more players took on board O’Nien’s mentality then they would likely begin moving in the right direction.

Parkinson has described him as “top class” and the player speaks of enjoying his time at the Stadium of Light which seems non-existent for some of his teammates – particularly Aiden McGeady who is now transfer listed.

However, it feels lacking in others potentially because of the pressure of playing for a big club with expectations of promotion. As long as that lasts the future doesn’t bode well for Sunderland.

It is something which is up to the manager to address, but if he can concentrate on bringing in players similar to O’Nien in January then performances and results will very likely improve considerably, as the former Wycombe man has perhaps been Sunderland’s best player this term.

Meanwhile, new non-executive director David Jones has revealed his biggest priorities to help Sunderland in his new role.