Luke O’Nien has praised the ‘culture’ inside the Sunderland dressing room after they showed their togetherness following a tricky run of results.
The Black Cats bounced back from successive defeats against Leeds United and Hull City to get their promotion push back on track with a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday. And O’Nien has hailed the attitude and commitment of his team-mates.
The 30-year-old, making his 300th appearance for the Black Cats, played a key role in a side featuring five changes from head coach Régis Le Bris. One of those changes was Eliezer Mayenda, who made his first start in seven games – his last coming in January’s win at Derby County – and he delivered a decisive brace, taking his season tally to 11 goal involvements.
Speaking post-match, O’Nien said: “I’m really proud of the boys, especially Leo [Hjelde] and Harrison Jones, who made his debut.
“We talk about culture all the time – players who don’t get many minutes and those players who put in the work on Sundays while the rest of us recover.
“Their attitude is outstanding. Blondy [Nna Noukeu], [Alan] Browney, Simon Moore – these guys have built a culture that gave us the platform to win.”
On O’Nien, Le Bris said: “He’s a legend of the club. It was important to win because Luke gives us very strong energy and commitment. He is always connected with the game model and activity of the team and he is a good example for his young team-mates. He should enjoy that.”
Meanwhile, Mayenda has told the players that a free week will enable them to recharge their batteries and go again at the weekend. All focus turns to Cardiff City when they come to the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Mayenda said: “This was a really good game for the team. I’m really proud of the team for the intensity. We lost the last two games but we deserved this victory because we worked really hard.
“Now we have to keep going, show the same team spirit. We have to try and play like this in every game and stay positive in every situation and to play with the same intensity.”
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