Sam Allardyce selected an unforgettable Wearside win when asked for four ‘games that changed my life’.
Speaking in an interview with Four Four Two magazine, the former Lads boss pinpointed the safety-securing victory over Everton in May 2016 as one of his top managerial highlights.
The penultimate game of the season, Sunderland knew three points against the Toffees would guarantee their safety an avoid any unwanted final-day drama.
And the stepped up and provided the goods, as Patrick van Aanholt's free-kick opened the scoring before Lamine Kone's double sealed three priceless points.
“Sunderland had three points from eight games when I took over," Allardyce told Four Four Two.
"They needed new players and I managed to get some in, and not long after that we beat Manchester United and then in May we beat Chelsea 3-2.”
He added: “But beating Everton next to stay up was the big one.
"It was a relief, achieving what I was brought in to do.”
Sunderland's win over Everton was joined by Notts County's 1-0 win over Leyton Orient in 1998 to win the Third Division, Bolton's 3-0 win over Preston in the 2001 Division One play-off final and England’s 2016 win over Slovakia.