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.

NameNationalityPositionDate fromDate toAppearancesGoalsNotesClub sourceNational sourceDefender188418861Midfielder18881896 2Defender18891894 3Goalkeeper18901904 4Forward1890189118921897 5Defender18901895 6Forward18901896 7Forward18901897 Midfielder18901897 9Forward1890190018961904 10Midfielder18901899 Defender1891189318921897 12Midfielder18911897 Defender18931898 14Defender18941900 15Defender18961902 16Defender18971904 17Midfielder18981902 18Defender18981905 19Midfielder18991907 20Defender18991904 21Forward18991909 Forward190019011904190523Defender19001907 24Forward19001912 Defender19021908 26Forward1902191227Forward19041919Defender19061912 29Defender19071911 30Defender19071911 31Midfielder19071915 32Defender19081914 33Defender19081915 34Defender19091912 35Forward19081920 36Midfielder19091921 37Defender19111919 38Forward19111925 Forward19121922 40Defender19131922 41Defender19131924 42Defender19191930 43Midfielder19201927 44Forward19201928 45Defender19201929 46Midfielder19211927 47Defender19211931 48Defender19221927 49Goalkeeper1923193419291935 50Midfielder19231930 51Forward1925195052Forward1925192953Defender19251936 54Defender19291934 55Forward19291938 56Defender19291939 57Defender19301935 58Goalkeeper19301936 59Forward19301939 60Midfielder19301946 61Defender19311939 62Defender19311939 63Forward19321936 64Defender19321938 65Midfielder19321939 66Midfielder19351948 67Forward19351952 68Goalkeeper19351954 69Defender19371939 70Forward19461953 71Defender19461953 72Midfielder19461953 73Defender19461953 74Defender1946195475Defender19461956 76Defender19471957 77Forward19481957 78Midfielder19491954 79Forward19491955 80Forward19501957 81Forward19501958 82Defender19501958 83Defender19511958 84Defender1952196485Defender19531957 86Midfielder19531958 87Goalkeeper19541958 88Defender19541958 89Forward19551958 90Forward19571960 91Midfielder19571963 92Defender1957196993Goalkeeper19581962 94Defender19581964 95Midfielder19581967 96Defender19581970 97Defender19581971 98Midfielder19591972 99Forward19601966 100Goalkeeper19601977101Midfielder19611969 102Forward19611969 103Forward19621969 104Midfielder19641979105Midfielder19681974 Defender19661971 106Midfielder19671977 107Midfielder19671977108Midfielder19681971 109Midfielder19681974 110Defender19691973 111Midfielder19691973 112Defender19701975 113Defender19701976 114Forward19721984 115Defender19721979 116Midfielder19721981 117Forward19731976 118Defender19741976 120Forward197419791983197619801984 121Forward19741977 122Defender19751982 123Forward19761979 124Goalkeeper19761982 125Midfielder19771982 126Defender19771986 127Midfielder19781983 128Defender19781984 129Defender19781985 130Goalkeeper19781986 131Midfielder19791985 132Forward19811985 133Midfielder19811986 134Defender19811986 135Midfielder198319891995198419921997 136Midfielder19831987 137Forward19841990 138Midfielder19841990 139Defender19841995 140Defender19851989 141Defender19851991 142Midfielder19851995 143Midfielder19861988 144Goalkeeper19861989 145Defender19871990 146Forward19871991 147Defender19871993 148Midfielder19871994 149Defender19871998 150Midfielder19881992 151Goalkeeper19881995 152Forward19891991153Defender19891992 154Midfielder19891995 155Defender19901999 156Forward19911994 157Forward19911997 158Defender19922004 159Goalkeeper19931996 160Forward19931996 161Defender19931999 162Midfielder19931999 163Defender19941997 164Defender19941999 165Forward199620042004199920042005 166Midfielder19962001 167Forward19962002168Midfielder19971999 169Midfielder19972000 170Defender19972001 171Defender19972003 172Forward19972004173Defender19972004 174Goalkeeper19982003 178Midfielder19982003 179Defender1998200820062012 180Midfielder19992003 181Defender20002006 182Forward20012006 183Forward20022005 184Defender20032006 185Midfielder20032009 186Defender20042009 187Midfielder20042009 188Goalkeeper20072012 189Forward20072010 190Midfielder20072012 191Midfielder20082014Midfielder20082014 192 Defender20082011 193Midfielder20092019Forward20092011 194 Forward20102012 195 Goalkeeper20102013 196Midfielder20112014Midfielder20112017Defender20112018ScotlandForward20122016EnglandMidfielder20122016EnglandGoalkeeper20152017Midfielder20162018Midfielder20162023 Statistics are correct as of 4 May 2024

Footnotes

A. : Club's most capped player with 36 appearances for Republic of Ireland. B. : First player to be transferred for £1000. C. : All-time top scorer. D. : Most goals in a season (43) in 1928–29 season. E. : 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.

References

General

Specific

External links Player statistics at Soccerbase