Players you didn’t know played for Sunderland and Nottingham Forest – Man United legend and more
Sunderland continue their Premier League campaign when they travel to Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening.
Regis Le Bris’ side are flying this season, with the Black Cats sat in seventh place in the league.
Wilson Isidor has been excellent, captain Granit Xhaka has led by example, and Nordi Mukiele has adapted brilliantly to the Premier League.
Sunderland take on Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with the Mackems hoping to secure their first away win of the season.
Here, Mackem News has brought you some players who have played for both sides over the years.
Jack Colback
Jack Colback joined the Sunderland academy at the age of 10, making his debut at the age of 20.
He played primarily as a midfielder, although was deployed as a wing back later on in his career.
His Premier League debut for the Black Cats didn’t go to plan, as he was sent off after coming on as a substitute versus Wolves.
Colback would leave the club in a move that saw him join Newcastle, and he became incredibly unpopular with Sunderland fans.
In 2020, he would move to Nottingham Forest, where he became an integral part of the side that gained promotion to the Premier League in 2022/23.
Since then, he has spent two years at QPR, yet since his contract ran out in the summer, he has remained a free agent.
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner has become a striker who is frequently teased due to his clumsy nature on the ball and his unsuccessful spell at Arsenal.
However, the striker was a pretty good loan signing for Sunderland back in 2007/08.
Arsene Wenger sent him out on loan to get consistent game time, and he performed for the Black Cats, scoring right goals in 28 appearances.
In 2016, well after his time at Arsenal was over, he joined Nottingham Forest for one season as the club battled life out in the Championship.
He made 15 appearances and only managed to find the back of the net twice, with his spell at the club marking his last experience of playing football in England.
- Read more: Regis Le Bris outlines grand plan to transform Sunderland star into one of best in Premier League
Andy Cole
Andy Cole is best known for his time at Newcastle and Manchester United in the 1990s, where he established himself as one of the greatest England strikers of his generation.
- He won the treble in 1999 with Manchester United
- He ended up scoring 187 Premier League goals, currently the fifth-highest of all time
- Earned 15 caps for England
However, towards the end of his career, Cole crossed the North East divide and joined Sunderland in 2007.
He played seven games for the club and failed to score in his one-year stint at Sunderland, before moving to Nottingham Forest the following season.
Cole would also fail to score for the tricky trees, and it marked the end of his wonderful career.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Sunderland news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account –@mackemnews247