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BLACK CATS SKIPPER DAN NEIL HAS BEEN A KEY PART IN THE TRANSFORMATION ON WEARSIDE CLIVE YOULTON 06:00, 30 May 2025 Sunderland captain Dan Neil lived out a young boy’s dream but even he never
thought he would be leading the team back to the Premier League. The 23-year-old was substituted before the equaliser and winning goal so was not on the pitch when Sunderland made their
late comeback from 1-0 down against Sheffield United. The substitutions proved a masterstroke from Regis Le Bris as they made the difference. Sunderland confirmed their place in the Premier
League next season with Neil lifting the trophy at Wembley. Over the course of the play-off campaign, the Lads produced stunning heart-stopping moments through late goals, starting from
Eliezer Mayenda’s cool finish in the first leg, Dan Ballard’s towering header in the second leg and Tommy Watson’s unerring finish five minutes into stoppage time in the final. However, the
way in which Le Bris’ side found their back to the top-flight is the living embodiment of the club. From the players to the fans. Even though he wasn’t on the pitch for the comeback, Neil
explained: “We had that mantra back in League One against Wycombe Wanderers. It’s a mantra that symbolises the whole city, til’ the end. “The fans have been absolutely outstanding in these
last two weeks. Getting behind us, travelling to the semi-final and in the second leg, I’ve never experienced anything like that before. Article continues below “The atmosphere that day and
all the support we’ve had over the last ten days. When you’ve got that mantra, you having to keep going til’ the end and we did that.” The captain is close to amassing a double-century of
appearances for the club and has worn the armband in his most memorable season to date. BLACK CATS BACK IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE Sunderland are back in the Premier League! The Black Cats defied
the odds with their stunning play-off win over Sheffield United at Wembley and are now preparing for life in the top flight once again. In this Journal special edition, we look at the key
moments behind Sunderland's Premier League return, we have reaction from players and staff, look ahead to next season and celebrate that amazing day at Wembley. Click here to buy online
and have it delivered directly to your door, or you can purchase it in participating supermarkets, high street retailers, and independent newsagents from May 30, 2025. Online postage and
packaging costs apply. But on his most famous day in a Sunderland shirt, it’s a moment he never gave much thought to in the early days of his career. Neil added: “You dream of getting your
debut, you dream of scoring your first goal but you don’t really dream of captaining your team to the Premier League.” In a true show of leadership, all the acclaim went to those who played
around him. “It’s not about me,” he said, and it wasn’t in the end. “It’s about this team, from minute one in pre-season. It’s about this team ethic, the togetherness. Every time something
goes against us, we always find a way to come back and that was the perfect example. Article continues below “We felt like the underdogs from the semi-finals but this team thrives off that
and that’s when we really come to the fore.”