u/Billy_Daftcunt

https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/40425/Tourism-delivers-strong-economic-boost-for-Sunderland

https://x.com/GFFN/status/2067293238516498550

Sunderland AFC can today confirm our retained and released list following the conclusion of the 2025/26 campaign.

Dan Neil, Dennis Cirkin, Bertrand Traoré and Niall Huggins will all leave Sunderland, with all other first-team players being retained.

Meanwhile, the club can confirm it remains in discussions with Lutsharel Geertruida.

After helping Sunderland gain promotion from League One, Dan Neil captained the Club back to the Premier League and made more than 200 appearances in red and white.

Dennis Cirkin also leaves the Black Cats after five years, having helped push the Club from the third tier to the top-flight, playing 120 times.

 Bertrand Traoré departs after one year on Wearside, helping the team to a successful first season back in the Premier League.

Niall Huggins moves on after joining in the summer of 2021. The full-back won the Club’s Goal of the Season award for his exceptional strike against Watford during the 2023-24 season.

Under-21 players Oliver Bainbridge, Marshall Burke, Dan Cameron, Thomas Lavery, Elias Lenz, Ethan Moore, Adam Richardson, Rhys Walsh and Jake Waters will all leave the Club this summer, with second-year scholars Ivan Struk and George Bell also departing the Academy of Light.

All players depart the club with the thanks and best wishes for the future from everybody at Sunderland AFC.

Youth players Finn Geragusian, Liam Hunt, Charlie Dinsdale, Bayley Hester, Marcus Neill, Finlay Holcroft, Joseph Neild and Felix Scott have all been offered professional contracts.

South Shields FC can confirm that Head Coach Ian Watson and Assistant Head Coach Carl Magnay have departed the club to join League Two side Rochdale FC.

While disappointed to see them leave, the Club is incredibly proud to have played a part in helping Ian and Carl progress further up the football pyramid.

Their move is recognition of the outstanding work carried out during a historic season for the Mariners, which saw the Club achieve its highest-ever finish since reform with 95 points and a second-place finish in the Enterprise National League North.

Following such a successful campaign, interest from higher levels of the game was inevitable, and we are proud to have provided the platform for both Ian and Carl to showcase their talents and take the next step in their careers.

Everyone at South Shields FC thanks Ian and Carl for their commitment and wishes them every success for the future.

The Club will now begin the process of appointing a new management team ahead of the 2026/27 season.