Neville makes ‘unbelievable’ Sunderland admission ahead of Sheffield United final
Sunderland will face Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, and many have them as underdogs heading to Wembley on Saturday.
The Black Cats enjoyed a strong season under Regis Le Bris, but their form tailed off badly towards the back end of the campaign.
Sunderland recovered from their slump to book their place in the final with a dramatic late win over Coventry City in the semi-finals, and they will hope this momentum carries them to promotion.
Former Manchester United star Gary Neville has now praised Sunderland fans ahead of the final, and liked what he saw in the second leg of the semi-finals.
Neville praises Stadium of Light atmosphere in Sunderland win
Sunderland’s play-off tie was won by Dan Ballard as he headed in from a corner in the final seconds of extra time, when the game appeared to be heading towards penalties.
Raucous limbs followed at the Stadium of Light, as Sunderland fans burst into wild celebrations, and Neville could not believe what he was watching.
| Team | Position | Goal Difference | Points |
| Sheffield United | 3 | 27 | 90 |
| Sunderland | 4 | 14 | 76 |
Speaking on The Overlap (21 May), former footballer and Sunderland fan Jill Scott claimed that the noise for Ballard’s goal was one of the best the stadium has seen, and Neville agreed.
“With the Sunderland fans, they’ve said they’ve never heard the Stadium of Light like that, when the goal went in,” Scott stated.
“It was unbelievable, wasn’t it?” Neville replied.
Sunderland will hope momentum carries them to Premier League
It was a different story for Sheffield United in their play-off semi-final, as they breezed past Bristol City with a 6-0 aggregate scoreline.
The Blades finished on 90 points this season, and were unlucky not to win automatic promotion from the Championship as Leeds and Burnley beat them to the top two with ease.
However, the nature of Ballard’s goal, and the reaction to it, could give Sunderland belief and momentum that they can win at Wembley, and they do have the quality to beat Sheffield United if they are at their best.
The celebrations for Ballard’s goal were incredible, but the noise could be even louder at Wembley if Sunderland return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017.