# List of Sunderland A.F.C. players

Sunderland Association Football Club was founded in 1879, and turned professional in 1886. This list contains all players that have played 100 or more first-class matches for the club. However, some players who have played fewer matches are also included. This includes players who have set a club playing record, such as goalscoring or transfer fee records.
Jimmy Montgomery holds the record for Sunderland appearances, having played 627 matches between 1960 and 1977, followed by Len Ashurst who made 459 appearances. As of 21 March 2009, the player who has won most international caps while at the club is Charlie Hurley with 36 for Republic of Ireland. Alf Common became the first transfer to reach £1,000 after moving to Middlesbrough from Sunderland in 1905.
The goalscoring record is held by Bobby Gurney, with 227 goals in all competitions, in 390 appearances, scored between 1925 and 1950. Charlie Buchan is the next highest goalscorer, closely behind Gurney with 221 goals, in 411 games, from 1911 to 1925. Dave Halliday holds the record for the most goals scored in a season, set in 1928–29, with 43 league goals in 42 games in the First Division. Halliday also holds a high goalscoring ratio while at Sunderland, scoring 175 goals in 164 games, with a goal every 0.94 games. Defender Charlie Hurley was voted as Sunderland's "Player of the Century" in the club's centenary season in 1979.

## Players

Players are listed according to the date of their first-team debut for the club. Appearances and goals are for first-team competitive matches only; wartime matches are excluded. Substitute appearances are included.
Players with name in bold are Sunderland record holders. Players with nationality in bold won full international caps for their country while with the club.
| Name | Nationality | Position | Date from | Date to | Appearances | Goals |
| James McMillan | Scotland | Defender | 1884 | 1886 | 5 | 0 |
| Will Gibson | Scotland | Midfielder | 1888 | 1896 | 102 | 7 |
| Thomas Porteous | England | Defender | 1889 | 1894 | 93 | 0 |
| Ned Doig | Scotland | Goalkeeper | 1890 | 1904 | 456 | 0 |
| James Gillespie | Scotland | Forward | 1890 1891 | 1892 1897 | 148 | 52 |
| John Auld | Scotland | Defender | 1890 | 1895 | 115 | 15 |
| John Scott | Scotland | Forward | 1890 | 1896 | 113 | 29 |
| Johnny Campbell | Scotland | Forward | 1890 | 1897 | 215 | 151 |
| John Harvey | Scotland | Midfielder | 1890 | 1897 | 108 | 12 |
| Jimmy Millar | Scotland | Forward | 1890 1900 | 1896 1904 | 260 | 122 |
| Hughie Wilson | Scotland | Midfielder | 1890 | 1899 | 258 | 46 |
| Donald Gow | Scotland | Defender | 1891 1893 | 1892 1897 | 113 | 1 |
| Jimmy Hannah | Scotland | Midfielder | 1891 | 1897 | 172 | 78 |
| Billy Dunlop | Scotland | Defender | 1893 | 1898 | 146 | 6 |
| Robert McNeill | Scotland | Defender | 1894 | 1900 | 157 | 0 |
| Matthew Ferguson | Scotland | Defender | 1896 | 1902 | 182 | 5 |
| Sandy McAllister | Scotland | Defender | 1897 | 1904 | 223 | 5 |
| Colin McLatchie | Scotland | Midfielder | 1898 | 1902 | 129 | 32 |
| Dick Jackson | England | Defender | 1898 | 1905 | 167 | 10 |
| James Farquhar | Scotland | Midfielder | 1899 | 1907 | 196 | 18 |
| Andrew McCombie | Scotland | Defender | 1899 | 1904 | 164 | 6 |
| Billy Hogg | England | Forward | 1899 | 1909 | 302 | 86 |
| Alf Common | England | Forward | 1900 1901 | 1904 1905 | 43 | 11 |
| Jimmy Watson | Scotland | Defender | 1900 | 1907 | 225 | 0 |
| Jimmy Gemmell | England | Forward | 1900 | 1912 | 228 | 46 |
| Dusty Rhodes | England | Defender | 1902 | 1908 | 119 | 5 |
| Arthur Bridgett | England | Forward | 1902 | 1912 | 347 | 116 |
| George Holley | England | Forward | 1904 | 1919 | 316 | 155 |
| Tommy Tait | Scotland | Defender | 1906 | 1912 | 195 | 3 |
| Henry Forster | England | Defender | 1907 | 1911 | 112 | 0 |
| Gavin Jarvie | England | Defender | 1907 | 1911 | 102 | 0 |
| Harry Low | Scotland | Midfielder | 1907 | 1915 | 227 | 37 |
| Albert Milton | England | Defender | 1908 | 1914 | 139 | 0 |
| Charles Thomson | Scotland | Defender | 1908 | 1915 | 264 | 8 |
| Billy Troughear | England | Defender | 1909 | 1912 | 108 | 0 |
| Jackie Mordue | England | Forward | 1908 | 1920 | 294 | 80 |
| Francis Cuggy | England | Midfielder | 1909 | 1921 | 189 | 4 |
| Harry Ness | England | Defender | 1911 | 1919 | 102 | 0 |
| Charlie Buchan | England | Forward | 1911 | 1925 | 411 | 221 |
| Henry Martin | England | Forward | 1912 | 1922 | 213 | 23 |
| Bert Hobson | England | Defender | 1913 | 1922 | 172 | 0 |
| John Poole | England | Defender | 1913 | 1924 | 152 | 2 |
| Ernie England | England | Defender | 1919 | 1930 | 351 | 0 |
| Billy Ellis | England | Midfielder | 1920 | 1927 | 202 | 32 |
| Bobby Marshall | England | Forward | 1920 | 1928 | 207 | 73 |
| Charlie Parker | England | Defender | 1920 | 1929 | 256 | 12 |
| Arthur Hawes | England | Midfielder | 1921 | 1927 | 147 | 39 |
| Arthur Andrews | England | Defender | 1921 | 1931 | 244 | 2 |
| Warney Cresswell | England | Defender | 1922 | 1927 | 190 | 0 |
| Albert McInroy | England | Goalkeeper | 1923 1934 | 1929 1935 | 227 | 0 |
| William Clunas | Scotland | Midfielder | 1923 | 1930 | 272 | 44 |
| Bobby Gurney | England | Forward | 1925 | 1950 | 390 | 227 |
| Dave Halliday | Scotland | Forward | 1925 | 1929 | 175 | 164 |
| Bill Murray | Scotland | Defender | 1925 | 1936 | 328 | 0 |
| Jock McDougall | Scotland | Defender | 1929 | 1934 | 184 | 3 |
| Patrick Gallacher | Scotland | Forward | 1929 | 1938 | 309 | 108 |
| Alex Hall | Scotland | Defender | 1929 | 1939 | 238 | 1 |
| Harry Shaw | England | Defender | 1930 | 1935 | 217 | 5 |
| Jimmy Thorpe | England | Goalkeeper | 1930 | 1936 | 139 | 0 |
| Jimmy Connor | Scotland | Forward | 1930 | 1939 | 284 | 62 |
| Alexander Hastings | Scotland | Midfielder | 1930 | 1946 | 304 | 8 |
| Bert Johnston | Scotland | Defender | 1931 | 1939 | 166 | 0 |
| Charlie Thomson | Scotland | Defender | 1931 | 1939 | 264 | 8 |
| Bert Davis | England | Forward | 1932 | 1936 | 162 | 40 |
| Sandy McNab | Scotland | Defender | 1932 | 1938 | 113 | 6 |
| Raich Carter | England | Midfielder | 1932 | 1939 | 281 | 132 |
| Eddie Burbanks | England | Midfielder | 1935 | 1948 | 156 | 30 |
| Len Duns | England | Forward | 1935 | 1952 | 248 | 54 |
| Johnny Mapson | England | Goalkeeper | 1935 | 1954 | 387 | 0 |
| Jimmy Gorman | England | Defender | 1937 | 1939 | 103 | 1 |
| Dickie Davis | England | Forward | 1946 | 1953 | 154 | 80 |
| Fred Hall | England | Defender | 1946 | 1953 | 224 | 1 |
| Tommy Reynolds | England | Midfielder | 1946 | 1953 | 171 | 18 |
| Bill Walsh | England | Defender | 1946 | 1953 | 105 | 1 |
| Willie Watson | England | Defender | 1946 | 1954 | 223 | 17 |
| Jack Stelling | England | Defender | 1946 | 1956 | 272 | 8 |
| Arthur Hudgell | England | Defender | 1947 | 1957 | 275 | 0 |
| Len Shackleton | England | Forward | 1948 | 1957 | 348 | 101 |
| Tommy Wright | Scotland | Midfielder | 1949 | 1954 | 180 | 54 |
| Harry Kirtley | England | Forward | 1949 | 1955 | 101 | 18 |
| Trevor Ford | Wales | Forward | 1950 | 1957 | 117 | 70 |
| Billy Bingham | Northern Ireland | Forward | 1950 | 1958 | 227 | 46 |
| Jack Hedley | England | Defender | 1950 | 1958 | 295 | 0 |
| George Aitken | Scotland | Defender | 1951 | 1958 | 267 | 3 |
| Stan Anderson | England | Defender | 1952 | 1964 | 447 | 35 |
| Ray Daniel | Wales | Defender | 1953 | 1957 | 153 | 7 |
| Billy Elliott | England | Midfielder | 1953 | 1958 | 212 | 26 |
| Willie Fraser | Scotland | Goalkeeper | 1954 | 1958 | 143 | 0 |
| Joe McDonald | Scotland | Defender | 1954 | 1958 | 155 | 1 |
| Charlie Fleming | Scotland | Forward | 1955 | 1958 | 122 | 72 |
| Colin Grainger | England | Forward | 1957 | 1960 | 124 | 14 |
| Ambrose Fogarty | Republic of Ireland | Midfielder | 1957 | 1963 | 174 | 43 |
| Charlie Hurley | Republic of Ireland | Defender | 1957 | 1969 | 401 | 26 |
| Peter Wakeham | England | Goalkeeper | 1958 | 1962 | 151 | 0 |
| Colin Nelson | England | Defender | 1958 | 1964 | 168 | 2 |
| Jim McNab | England | Midfielder | 1958 | 1967 | 323 | 18 |
| Len Ashurst | England | Defender | 1958 | 1970 | 459 | 4 |
| Cecil Irwin | England | Defender | 1958 | 1971 | 350 | 1 |
| Martin Harvey | Northern Ireland | Midfielder | 1959 | 1972 | 357 | 5 |
| Nick Sharkey | Scotland | Forward | 1960 | 1966 | 117 | 62 |
| Jimmy Montgomery | England | Goalkeeper | 1960 | 1977 | 627 | 0 |
| George Herd | Scotland | Midfielder | 1961 | 1969 | 318 | 55 |
| Johnny Crossan | Northern Ireland | Forward | 1961 | 1969 | 318 | 55 |
| George Mulhall | Scotland | Forward | 1962 | 1969 | 289 | 66 |
| Bobby Kerr | Scotland | Midfielder | 1964 | 1979 | 432 | 69 |
| John Lathan | England | Midfielder | 1968 | 1974 | 111 | 23 |
| Colin Todd | England | Defender | 1966 | 1971 | 191 | 3 |
| Billy Hughes | Scotland | Midfielder | 1967 | 1977 | 335 | 81 |
| Ian Porterfield | Scotland | Midfielder | 1967 | 1977 | 270 | 20 |
| Gordon Harris | England | Midfielder | 1968 | 1971 | 135 | 16 |
| Dennis Tueart | England | Midfielder | 1968 | 1974 | 218 | 56 |
| Mick McGiven | England | Defender | 1969 | 1973 | 126 | 12 |
| Richie Pitt | England | Midfielder | 1969 | 1973 | 145 | 7 |
| David Watson | England | Defender | 1970 | 1975 | 212 | 33 |
| Dick Malone | Scotland | Defender | 1970 | 1976 | 282 | 2 |
| Gary Rowell | England | Forward | 1972 | 1984 | 296 | 103 |
| Jack Ashurst | Scotland | Defender | 1972 | 1979 | 165 | 3 |
| Joe Bolton | England | Midfielder | 1972 | 1981 | 325 | 12 |
| Vic Halom | England | Forward | 1973 | 1976 | 138 | 42 |
| Bobby Moncur | Scotland | Defender | 1974 | 1976 | 101 | 2 |
| Bryan Robson | England | Forward | 1974 1979 1983 | 1976 1980 1984 | 182 | 68 |
| Tony Towers | England | Forward | 1974 | 1977 | 124 | 22 |
| Jeff Clarke | England | Defender | 1975 | 1982 | 218 | 6 |
| Bob Lee | England | Forward | 1976 | 1979 | 122 | 33 |
| Barry Siddall | England | Goalkeeper | 1976 | 1982 | 192 | 0 |
| Kevin Arnott | England | Midfielder | 1977 | 1982 | 152 | 18 |
| Shaun Elliott | England | Defender | 1977 | 1986 | 368 | 11 |
| Mick Buckley | England | Midfielder | 1978 | 1983 | 135 | 8 |
| Rob Hindmarch | England | Defender | 1978 | 1984 | 128 | 3 |
| Gordon Chisholm | Scotland | Defender | 1978 | 1985 | 235 | 16 |
| Chris Turner | England | Goalkeeper | 1978 | 1986 | 224 | 1 |
| Stan Cummins | England | Midfielder | 1979 | 1985 | 165 | 32 |
| Colin West | England | Forward | 1981 | 1985 | 122 | 28 |
| Nick Pickering | England | Midfielder | 1981 | 1986 | 209 | 18 |
| Barry Venison | England | Defender | 1981 | 1986 | 205 | 3 |
| Paul Bracewell | England | Midfielder | 1983 1989 1995 | 1984 1992 1997 | 270 | 6 |
| Mark Proctor | England | Midfielder | 1983 | 1987 | 138 | 23 |
| Eric Gates | England | Forward | 1984 | 1990 | 219 | 55 |
| Paul Lemon | England | Midfielder | 1984 | 1990 | 126 | 19 |
| Gary Bennett | England | Defender | 1984 | 1995 | 443 | 25 |
| Frank Gray | Scotland | Defender | 1985 | 1989 | 169 | 8 |
| Reuben Agboola | Nigeria | Defender | 1985 | 1991 | 170 | 0 |
| Gordon Armstrong | England | Midfielder | 1985 | 1995 | 416 | 61 |
| Steve Doyle | Wales | Midfielder | 1986 | 1988 | 115 | 2 |
| Iain Hesford | England | Goalkeeper | 1986 | 1989 | 112 | 0 |
| John MacPhail | England | Defender | 1987 | 1990 | 153 | 22 |
| Marco Gabbiadini | England | Forward | 1987 | 1991 | 185 | 87 |
| John Kay | England | Defender | 1987 | 1993 | 239 | 0 |
| Gary Owers | England | Midfielder | 1987 | 1994 | 320 | 27 |
| Richard Ord | England | Defender | 1987 | 1998 | 284 | 8 |
| Colin Pascoe | Wales | Midfielder | 1988 | 1992 | 149 | 25 |
| Tony Norman | Wales | Goalkeeper | 1988 | 1995 | 227 | 0 |
| Thomas Hauser | Germany | Forward | 1989 | 1991 | 65 | 11 |
| Paul Hardyman | England | Defender | 1989 | 1992 | 129 | 12 |
| Brian Atkinson | England | Midfielder | 1989 | 1995 | 169 | 6 |
| Kevin Ball | England | Defender | 1990 | 1999 | 388 | 27 |
| Don Goodman | England | Forward | 1991 | 1994 | 132 | 47 |
| Craig Russell | England | Forward | 1991 | 1997 | 175 | 34 |
| Michael Gray | England | Defender | 1992 | 2004 | 410 | 17 |
| Alec Chamberlain | England | Goalkeeper | 1993 | 1996 | 108 | 0 |
| Phil Gray | Northern Ireland | Forward | 1993 | 1996 | 134 | 41 |
| Andy Melville | Wales | Defender | 1993 | 1999 | 236 | 14 |
| Martin Smith | England | Midfielder | 1993 | 1999 | 145 | 28 |
| Dariusz Kubicki | Poland | Defender | 1994 | 1997 | 150 | 0 |
| Martin Scott | England | Defender | 1994 | 1999 | 126 | 11 |
| Michael Bridges | England | Forward | 1996 2004 2004 | 1999 2004 2005 | 113 | 23 |
| Alex Rae | Scotland | Midfielder | 1996 | 2001 | 136 | 15 |
| Niall Quinn | Republic of Ireland | Forward | 1996 | 2002 | 220 | 69 |
| Allan Johnston | Scotland | Midfielder | 1997 | 1999 | 101 | 20 |
| Nicky Summerbee | England | Midfielder | 1997 | 2000 | 108 | 8 |
| Chris Makin | England | Defender | 1997 | 2001 | 142 | 1 |
| Jody Craddock | England | Defender | 1997 | 2003 | 168 | 2 |
| Kevin Phillips | England | Forward | 1997 | 2004 | 235 | 130 |
| Darren Williams | England | Defender | 1997 | 2004 | 238 | 6 |
| Thomas Sørensen | Denmark | Goalkeeper | 1998 | 2003 | 197 | 0 |
| Gavin McCann | England | Midfielder | 1998 | 2003 | 135 | 13 |
| George McCartney | Northern Ireland | Defender | 1998 2008 | 2006 2012 | 203 | 0 |
| Kevin Kilbane | Republic of Ireland | Midfielder | 1999 | 2003 | 123 | 9 |
| Julio Arca | Argentina | Defender | 2000 | 2006 | 177 | 23 |
| Kevin Kyle | Scotland | Forward | 2001 | 2006 | 109 | 19 |
| Marcus Stewart | England | Forward | 2002 | 2005 | 119 | 39 |
| Gary Breen | Republic of Ireland | Defender | 2003 | 2006 | 115 | 7 |
| Grant Leadbitter | England | Midfielder | 2003 | 2009 | 113 | 11 |
| Danny Collins | Wales | Defender | 2004 | 2009 | 163 | 3 |
| Dean Whitehead | England | Midfielder | 2004 | 2009 | 200 | 14 |
| Craig Gordon | Scotland | Goalkeeper | 2007 | 2012 | 95 | 0 |
| Kenwyne Jones | Trinidad and Tobago | Forward | 2007 | 2010 | 101 | 28 |
| Kieran Richardson | England | Midfielder | 2007 | 2012 | 149 | 15 |
| Jack Colback | England | Midfielder | 2008 | 2014 | 136 | 5 |
| Phil Bardsley | Scotland | Midfielder | 2008 | 2014 | 176 | 11 |
| Steed Malbranque | France | Defender | 2008 | 2011 | 112 | 2 |
| Lee Cattermole | England | Midfielder | 2009 | 2019 | 258 | 10 |
| Darren Bent | England | Forward | 2009 | 2011 | 60 | 35 |
| Asamoah Gyan | Ghana | Forward | 2010 | 2012 | 37 | 11 |
| Simon Mignolet | Belgium | Goalkeeper | 2010 | 2013 | 101 | 0 |
| Craig Gardner | England | Midfielder | 2011 | 2014 | 100 | 14 |
| Sebastian Larsson | Sweden | Midfielder | 2011 | 2017 | 203 | 14 |
| John O'Shea | Republic of Ireland | Defender | 2011 | 2018 | 256 | 4 |
| Steven Fletcher | Scotland Scotland | Forward | 2012 | 2016 | 108 | 23 |
| Adam Johnson | England England | Midfielder | 2012 | 2016 | 141 | 22 |
| Jordan Pickford | England England | Goalkeeper | 2015 | 2017 | 35 | 0 |
| Didier Ndong | Gabon | Midfielder | 2016 | 2018 | 54 | 1 |
| Lynden Gooch | United States | Midfielder | 2016 | 2023 | 246 | 25 |
Statistics are correct as of 4 May 2024

## Footnotes

    A. $^a$ $^b$ : Club's most capped player with 36 appearances for Republic of Ireland.
    B. $^a$ $^b$ : First player to be transferred for £1000.
    C. $^a$ $^b$ : All-time top scorer.
    D. $^a$ $^b$ : Most goals in a season (43) in 1928–29 season.
    E. $^a$ $^b$ : Named Sunderland's player of the century.
    F. ^ : For a full description of positions see football positions.
    G. ^ : The Date from column includes data of the year the player made his debut for the club, also including data of multiple spells at the club by a player.
    H. ^ : The Date to column includes data of the year the player made his last appearances for the club.
    I. ^ : All entries in this column are sourced to the player's individual page from The Stat Cat or Soccerbase.
    J. ^ : Club's first professional captain.
    K. ^ : Most capped player for England of those playing for both Sunderland and the national side simultaneously.
    L. ^ : Top goalscorer for England of those playing for both Sunderland and the national side simultaneously.
    M. ^ : Represented England at both cricket and football.
    N. ^ : Only player to have captained Sunderland, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough.
    O. ^ : All-time appearance record-holder
    P. ^ : Captained 1973 FA Cup winning team.
    Q. ^ : Scored 1973 FA Cup winning goal.
    R. ^ : Served as Chairman-Manager before appointment of Roy Keane as manager in 2006–07 season.
    S. ^ : Post-war leading goalscorer.
    T. ^ : Club record transfer sale, £30,000,000, to Everton.
    U. ^ : Club record transfer purchase, £13,600,000, from Lorient.
    V. ^ : First non-British born player to represent SAFC at Wembley stadium as-well as the first German to play for the club.