Jordan Pickford’s rise to stardom caught many away from Wearside off guard, but Rory Delap has been patiently waiting for the stopper to make his arrival on the big stage.
Best remembered for his time at Stoke City and his trademark long throw, Delap also featured for Sunderland during a 19-year career which included spells at Derby County and Southampton.
In 2013 the former Black Cat ended his playing career with a six-game stint at Burton Albion, during which time he featured alongside Sunderland loanee Pickford.
And from the moment the stopper arrived at the Pirelli Stadium, the former Republic of Ireland international knew he was bound for big things.
“You could see from the day he came in that he had quality,” explained Delap. “It didn’t take an expert to see his potential.
“Sometimes you see that in young lads but they fall by the wayside, while some go on to have exceptional careers, and I’m pretty early on we saw Jordan’s commitment and attitude to football.”
He added: “He’s had a great 12 months, getting into Sunderland’s first-team and the England set-up, and hopefully he’ll go on to have a very good career.”
Now the under-23 boss at Derby County, Delap endured a tough time on Wearside with injuries and managerial changes restricting him to just 12 league appearances.
But the 40-year-old admits he will always hold Sunderland – and the red and white army – in the highest esteem.
“There’s no animosity and I still follow the club; I loved the club and the fans were fantastic.
“Sunderland is a great club and it’s always somewhere I’ve enjoyed playing, it was just an unfortunate string of events for me there and things just didn’t work out.”