On this day in 1996, Alex Rae signed for Sunderland in a £1m deal.
The combative midfielder arrived following a successful six-year spell at Millwall, during which time he became the club’s joint-ninth all-time leading goalscorer.
Rae helped the Lads earn promotion to the Premier League during the 1998-99 season, playing regularly for Peter Reid’s side as they became champions.
The Scot made over 100 appearances in red and white before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2001, and he was promoted to the top flight for a second time in 2003.
But it was his time on Wearside that stood out above all else.
“I absolutely loved it,” Rae concluded. “It’s probably my fondest time in my career.
“We were flying in the Premier League and you were getting 47-48,000 fans in the stadium every game.”
He added: “When you talk to Sunderland fans they tell you that was a golden time for them.”