My Three Favourite Ever Sunderland Players: #3 — Calum Mills

03/22/2025 02:00 AM

We've all got our own list of all-time favourite Sunderland players, so who would make your top three? Next up is Calum Mills - with over a quarter of a century supporting the Lads, picking them wasn't easy!

Kevin Phillips

I wouldn't be surprised if my favourite Sunderland player isn't in everyone's top three... that being said let's talk about Super Kev.

Kevin Phillips lit up the Stadium of Light instantly, scoring on his debut in the first-ever league game in our new home. He would go on to score 113 in Red & White and some of the goals he scored were either sheer genius or sheer brilliance.

A player littered with accolades, from stacking shelves to playing for England. Playing football with my mates I was always 'Super Kev' as he's my Sunderland hero. In his first season, he notched 35 goals and was our post-war record goal scorer.

I remember when we lost him through injury in our promotion season and luckily we did have some able replacements in Dichio & Bridges but I did wonder if his nearly weekly contributions would cost us promotion. Upon his return he scored a ridiculous volley away to QPR, running to meet the ball he deftly redirected it into the top corner with the outside of his boot and the rest is history as he would go on to score 23 goals in 26 appearances that season. The little man was back. Pundits in the UK would go on to say he'll struggle in the Premier League against tougher defenders... how wrong were they.

A European Golden Shoe and 'that' volley against Chelsea came in his first season in the nation's top division. For me, it was criminal he never played more for England. He was the type of player that could turn a game on its head instantly which is exactly what we needed in Euro 2000. Pace, skill, and two good feet. He had, for me, something that is unreachable.

His ability to create space and find the net in one motion was a gift. The man knew where the goal was. My favourite goal of his (and no, it's not the volley or the chip against The Mags)? The chip away to Bury in the game that clinched promotion. Long live Super Kev!

Stephane Sessegnon

Second place goes to Stephane Sessegnon.

Rumour has it they mixed Messi & Pele to create him and you'd have to agree. It wasn't unusual for Sunderland to be linked to players from top European sides, so when I read we were linked to a player from PSG I took it with a pinch of salt.

Next thing you know, he's there with the famous scarf picture. Great on the ball and a penchant for a cheeky nutmeg (Bradley Johnson, you okay?) he had you on the edge of your seat.

Yes, he did have a moment of stupidity in him like his needless elbow in the Wear-Tyne Derby but he made up for it with a sweet strike the following season against that lot up the road. His time on Wearside was short lived but he was one player I could never tire of watching.

I personally think we'd have kept ahold of him longer had he not fallen out with Di Canio.

Dan Neil

Third place was tough as there were a few players who are probably all 'tied'. I've gone for Dan Neil. Why? Because we are watching a player develop and will undoubtedly play for England.

He isn't the finished article yet but that's ok and some of you reading this will definitely disagree with me, but it's my opinion. The lad never went out on loan and learned his trade solely in the Sunderland Academy, representing us at all age groups.

With no senior men's football games to his name apart from the ones in a Sunderland shirt, to have developed as well as he has is extremely impressive. Typically youth team prospects go out to lower leagues to get used to the rough & tumble of men's professional football but not Dan.

He burst on to the season with a quick-fire goal against Accrington Stanley in our League One promotion season and hasn't looked back since. He's had to play under various managers with different ideas around football, in different positions away from his preferred central midfield role, and has adapted admirably - if memory serves me correctly he's even played at left back.

There's been games I've watched where he really has made you sit back and just admire his ability. He is now Sunderland captain which could've quite easily derailed his progression as being a Lads fan and captaining the team you've grown up supporting must be a serious weight to carry.

Swansea away this season when we were 2-0 down, he was grabbing players and encouraging them to not give up. Lo & behold, it was his screamer that drew us level, with minimal celebration he started running back to the centre spot to get the game underway again for us to score again two minutes later.

Sheffield Wednesday away, again, a captain's performance. His pass interception, driving run, and holding off of several Owls players led to a foul on him where he stood up and quickly offloaded a pass which within about 7 seconds resulted in Mayenda putting us in front.

I was moderately critical of his range of passing early in his career but this has slowly become his main strength. The 40+ yard volleyed ball he played the first time out to Tommy Watson at home to Preston last week was a joke. His vision has always been there, but execution was lacking. It isn't now!

As mentioned previously, he isn't the finished article but what a player he is becoming. He will have off games, he will still make silly mistakes but he's still young and I can see him playing for England one day whilst hopefully still as a Sunderland player!