Tony Mowbray reveals which 2024 Sunderland signing took his breath away
Tony Mowbray has revealed that Sunderland signing Chris Mepham took his breath away.
Mowbray is somewhat of a cult hero on Wearside for various reasons – perhaps none more important than the season in which he led a recently promoted Black Cats side into the Championship play-offs.
Things ultimately went downhill in the short term with his eventual sacking resulting in the appointment of Michael Beale.
However, in a Q&A in with Sunderland supporters organised by IK Promotions (15 November), Mowbray admitted that he was surprised the club signed Mepham earlier this tear.
Mowbray jokingly added that, “when I was there, if he wasn’t an 18-year-old from France we weren’t signing him.”
Tony Mowbray was a success at Sunderland despite sacking
In hindsight, Mowbray’s sacking was the start of a disturbing few months at Wearside with the appointment of Beale, then Mike Dodds and the entire debacle around the Black Cats bar.
However, as a whole, his tenure on Wearside was successful and very few will forget the impact he had at the club.
Not only did he achieve a top-six finish with a young, inexperienced side, but he also played a huge role in the development of several players who have since been touted with huge European moves.
Perhaps Chris Rigg is the biggest success story from his time at Sunderland, with Mowbray handing him his senior debut. That was only the start of Rigg’s career who has since been linked with a move to Manchester United (Sunderland AFC News) among several other clubs.
His regularly entertaining ‘sweet themed’ press conferences and connection with the fanbase earned him an excellent rapport with the Wearside faithful.
In other Sunderland news, Wilson Isidor has found himself shifted out wide on several occasions despite his best performances coming as a central striker.
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