Luke O’Nien: What could Sunderland future hold for him?
Luke O’Nien has been a part of Sunderland’s core squad ever since their dark days down in League One.
Going back to when O’Nien made the move from Wycombe as a young attacking midfielder in League One, quite literally no one would have expected him to develop into a centre-back playing Premier League football, but that has been the case.
There have been bumps along the way, but for the most part, O’Nien has cemented his place among a long list of Wearside legends, mainly for his never-say-die attitude on a daily basis.
However, gametime has been limited for the defender in the Premier League this season, and that will likely decrease even more for him next season.
Luke O’Nien can still have major role to play next season
As reliable as he so often has been, it’s hard to imagine O’Nien getting close to the first team next season, and even less so if the Black Cats bring more defenders in.
And with just one year left on his deal come the end of the campaign, many will be left wondering what could be next for him.
| Premier League | O’Nien |
| Appearances | 8 |
| Long balls per 90 | 2.78 |
| Fouls won per 90 | 1.59 |
| Tackles per 90 | 1.19 |
| Duels won per 90 | 3.96 |
O’Nien may want to spend the last few years of his career playing regular football, whether that be in the Championship or elsewhere, or he can stay on Wearside and play such a crucial role behind the scenes.
His knowledge of the club and the understanding of the fanbase are what have seen him achieve what he has here, and his experience would be an invaluable component of his presence at the Stadium of Light for the foreseeable future.
What has O’Nien said about his future?
In January, O’Nien was linked with several clubs, including West Brom, but he opted to stay at Sunderland.
Gametime would have been regular in the Championship, but he wanted to stay on Wearside and fight for his place, which he has done so successfully in the absence of Nordi Mukiele and Dan Ballard.
When those exit links first emerged, he said: “I am going absolutely nowhere, so yeah, I’m staying at Sunderland.”
“I’ll be staying here unless someone’s trying to kick me out, even then, I’ll still probably stay.”
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