Post by Les on Mar 29, 2019 10:40:08 GMT
www.safc.com/news/team-news/2019/march/honeyman-preview-portsmouth-final
From the edge of darkness to leading the way
“I thought my time at the club was over”
Two years down the line, George Honeyman is preparing to lead Sunderland out at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000.
However, not a day goes by where the academy graduate doesn’t think about where he’s come from after believing at one point his chance on Wearside had gone.
In August 2016, Sunderland hosted Shrewsbury Town at the Stadium of Light in the League Cup. Honeyman was an unused substitute.
At the time, he was just a kid. A mere youth in the dressing room. The one that helped pack and unload the kit and swept up afterwards.
That was his schooling at the time.
With just a year left on his contract, the youngster thought a loan move – building on from his spell at Gateshead – was his only viable chance of forging a career in the game with his time at Sunderland seemingly up.
However, a late call was made to keep Honeyman at the Stadium of Light. A decision that left the youngster devastated, thinking that was it for him with time running out on his deal.
“Everything seemed to be going against me. I thought that was it. I thought it was all over for me here,” Honeyman admitted.
“I didn’t think I was ever going to be a fixture in the first team.
“I hadn’t even played for the first team at the Stadium of Light. It was something I was gutted about because I thought my time at the club was over.”
Now 24, Honeyman cuts a proud figure. The kind befitting of a man we now call skipper.
Sitting upright against the club’s crest outside the first team dressing room, the academy graduate’s hard work, endeavour and never say die attitude has, after shedding plenty of bloody, sweat and tears, paid off.
“It all feels pretty surreal if I’m honest when you look at how quickly things have changed and my standing at the club along with the status of the club.
“It’s been a whirlwind couple of years but I’m immensely proud of how far I’ve come.”
On Sunday, Honeyman will lead Sunderland out in front of a sold-out capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium as the Lads take on Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy Final.
It will be a day and an occasion a complete world away from the emotions he went through two years ago when he thought his time in the red and white stripes was up.
“Sunday is a testimony to how far we’ve come and I’ve come in the last couple of years.
“Having ticked off scoring my first goal for the club, playing at the Stadium of Light and becoming a first-team regular, to being made captain and now given the chance to lead the club out at Wembley Stadium, it is just so special.
“I’ve come so far in such a short space of time. The chance to play for this club at Wembley is something beyond what I ever expected.
“I can’t and won’t ever take anything I do for this club for granted because I know how close it was to coming to an end. I will always appreciate where I get to with this club and things like this are so, so special.”
With his feet rooted firmly to the ground due to the education and schooling he’s had at the Academy of Light, Honeyman is a winner.
While the thought of playing in front of a capacity crowd at the national stadium might be too much for some, for the 24-year-old it’s an occasion he’s ready to thrive under and he’s using the pain from the last two seasons as inspiration to ensure this is just the start of the good times on Wearside.
“Chances to lead Sunderland out in a cup final to win something come few and far between.
“I’ve spent the majority of my life in this training ground with this club, so this is an opportunity to show that it’s been worthwhile.
“I want to leave here one day having made my mark on the place and on Sunday that’s something myself and the lads can’t wait to do.
“I don’t want have any regrets on Sunday – I want to have won a trophy with my club.
“The last couple of years have been really tough with everyone connected and they were the first couple of years I started to play for the first-team.
“I have only known negative years, so it hasn’t been great. It’s been massive character building and I don’t think I will ever go through a tougher couple of years so it’s days like this and weeks like this when we need to make sure we enjoy it.
“Bad times are always there in football but when the good times roll round you need to enjoy it, so let’s go and win the cup!”
From the edge of darkness to leading the way
“I thought my time at the club was over”
Two years down the line, George Honeyman is preparing to lead Sunderland out at Wembley Stadium in front of 90,000.
However, not a day goes by where the academy graduate doesn’t think about where he’s come from after believing at one point his chance on Wearside had gone.
In August 2016, Sunderland hosted Shrewsbury Town at the Stadium of Light in the League Cup. Honeyman was an unused substitute.
At the time, he was just a kid. A mere youth in the dressing room. The one that helped pack and unload the kit and swept up afterwards.
That was his schooling at the time.
With just a year left on his contract, the youngster thought a loan move – building on from his spell at Gateshead – was his only viable chance of forging a career in the game with his time at Sunderland seemingly up.
However, a late call was made to keep Honeyman at the Stadium of Light. A decision that left the youngster devastated, thinking that was it for him with time running out on his deal.
“Everything seemed to be going against me. I thought that was it. I thought it was all over for me here,” Honeyman admitted.
“I didn’t think I was ever going to be a fixture in the first team.
“I hadn’t even played for the first team at the Stadium of Light. It was something I was gutted about because I thought my time at the club was over.”
Now 24, Honeyman cuts a proud figure. The kind befitting of a man we now call skipper.
Sitting upright against the club’s crest outside the first team dressing room, the academy graduate’s hard work, endeavour and never say die attitude has, after shedding plenty of bloody, sweat and tears, paid off.
“It all feels pretty surreal if I’m honest when you look at how quickly things have changed and my standing at the club along with the status of the club.
“It’s been a whirlwind couple of years but I’m immensely proud of how far I’ve come.”
On Sunday, Honeyman will lead Sunderland out in front of a sold-out capacity crowd at Wembley Stadium as the Lads take on Portsmouth in the Checkatrade Trophy Final.
It will be a day and an occasion a complete world away from the emotions he went through two years ago when he thought his time in the red and white stripes was up.
“Sunday is a testimony to how far we’ve come and I’ve come in the last couple of years.
“Having ticked off scoring my first goal for the club, playing at the Stadium of Light and becoming a first-team regular, to being made captain and now given the chance to lead the club out at Wembley Stadium, it is just so special.
“I’ve come so far in such a short space of time. The chance to play for this club at Wembley is something beyond what I ever expected.
“I can’t and won’t ever take anything I do for this club for granted because I know how close it was to coming to an end. I will always appreciate where I get to with this club and things like this are so, so special.”
With his feet rooted firmly to the ground due to the education and schooling he’s had at the Academy of Light, Honeyman is a winner.
While the thought of playing in front of a capacity crowd at the national stadium might be too much for some, for the 24-year-old it’s an occasion he’s ready to thrive under and he’s using the pain from the last two seasons as inspiration to ensure this is just the start of the good times on Wearside.
“Chances to lead Sunderland out in a cup final to win something come few and far between.
“I’ve spent the majority of my life in this training ground with this club, so this is an opportunity to show that it’s been worthwhile.
“I want to leave here one day having made my mark on the place and on Sunday that’s something myself and the lads can’t wait to do.
“I don’t want have any regrets on Sunday – I want to have won a trophy with my club.
“The last couple of years have been really tough with everyone connected and they were the first couple of years I started to play for the first-team.
“I have only known negative years, so it hasn’t been great. It’s been massive character building and I don’t think I will ever go through a tougher couple of years so it’s days like this and weeks like this when we need to make sure we enjoy it.
“Bad times are always there in football but when the good times roll round you need to enjoy it, so let’s go and win the cup!”