Ahead of Sunderland AFC’s fixture at Bournemouth at the weekend David Moyes and his team visited one of the North East’s major manufacturing plants.
Members of Sunderland AFC’s first team, including Jermain Defoe, Jordan Pickford, Seb Larsson and Lamine Kone were invited to the Nissan Motor Manufacturing Plant in Washington to find out more about the huge operation in place, and to meet some of the employees and fans working there.
The players and coaching staff were taken on a tour of the huge production line which manufactures over half a million Nissan vehicles a year, employing 6,700 people and supporting a further 27,000 in the UK automotive supply chains.
They were also put through their paces with a number of engineering and quality assurance tests before meeting members of the workforce to sign autographs.
Manager David Moyes said it was a chance for the club's players and fans to connect: "It is important to show how much we value our supporters and the workers in this area," he said.
"The success Nissan has had means it is a big part of this area and it is important that we are in touch with the people and let them know we know how well they are doing.
“It was good for new members of the squad to have an insight into the people who are paying to watch them week in and week out” he said.
"It is important when you are building a team that the new members get a chance to see what our supporters do, how hard they work and the kind of work they do.
"This factory is a big part of this region - it is a very successful place that we should be proud of."
2016 marked the plant’s 30th anniversary, having started production in 1986, and Sunderland midfielder Duncan Watmore took a lot from the visit.
He said: “It is so good for us as players to come and visit what is a real hub in our community.
“The scale and magnitude of it – we were told they employ almost 7,000 people and directly impacting on a further 30,000 jobs – shows you just how important it is for the city and the club.
“We’ve met so many people and they’ve been so friendly and positive, so for players it has been a great thing for us to come and do.”
