“Mannone saves, Sunderland go to Wembley!!!”
That was the moment the Black Cats Italian stopper lodged his name in Mackem folklore as Sunderland defeated Manchester United in their own backyard to seal their place in the EFL Cup final.
Mannone joined a long list of ‘keepers that night to have made a name for themselves at Sunderland, most notably spearheaded by 1973 FA Cup winner Jim Montgomery.
And while academy hopefuls in Sunderland's youth ranks aspire to one day hear the red and white army cheer their name, in the third week of 'The Beginning' Sam Lightle speaks to second-year scholar Michael Woud about his cultural switch from down under to the Academy of Light.
While life in the northern hemisphere is one rich in football and the traditions that come with that, life down under paves the way for a very different story...
With rugby and cricket hot topics in New Zealand, Woud's move to the north east of England has seen him immerse himself in the hotbed of British football.
“I used to play rugby until I was seven,” he revealed. “I have always been quite tall but my dad was a goalkeeper and that’s how I got into football.
“I used to go to a specialist school for football and then I moved to an international school where the national team coach was a teacher there.
“I have come a long way but it’s different now. That has helped me get to where I am now but I want to continue to work hard and keep striving to achieve better because that’s what it is all about."
He continued: “I have always believed in myself but I never thought I would be at a Premier League club because it seemed a long, long way away, especially back in New Zealand.
“You never think like that but I have been given a good opportunity and now it’s up to me to make the most of that.
“It’s humbling and just shows that if you work hard, then you will get opportunities and that is shown in fellow New Zealand internationals like Winston Reid and Chris Wood who have done well over here.
“There are more and more players coming out of academies in New Zealand and hopefully more will come over here in the future.”
