When Manchester City recruited 18-year-old Patrick Roberts in 2015, many predicted that the winger would become a star, but his career has been rocky.
After eight loan moves, Sunderland took a chance on the former Fulham player, offering him a six-month contract.
Three years later, Roberts is still wearing the Black Cats’ red and white, and the agreement to bring him to the Stadium of Light was a wise commercial decision.
Patrick Roberts deal was a win-win for Sunderland
The Sunderland leadership made a clever decision in bringing Roberts to the North East, as if the transaction did not work, the club was not obligated to keep the winger.
It was hard to imagine that Roberts had been at City for seven years before ultimately leaving the Etihad Stadium, despite only making three senior appearances during that time.
The Premier League champions had a plethora of talent at their disposal, so the winger was moved across Europe, which couldn’t have been easy.
Roberts was clearly a talented player. During his most prolific season in Scotland, the attacker scored 9 goals and assisted 14 times, but he was unable to match that in subsequent moves.
League One provided an opportunity for Roberts to recover his footing, and his performances improved as he played a key role in the Wearsiders’ play-off victory.
Roberts had done enough to assure his long-term future with the club, and he signed a two-year contract with Sunderland in 2022 as the club prepared to compete in the Championship.
Roberts has been a great servant to the club
Looking back at Roberts’ career to date at the Stadium of Light will bring a smile to Sunderland supporters’ faces due to his popularity at the club.
The Wearside supporters want the 27-year-old to succeed and have backed his ability even through the toughest of times on Wearside.
Sunderland’s return to the Championship in 2022 was a season where the winger exhibited his greatest playing, and it was an absolute joy to witness him and Amad Diallo’s dazzling relationship under Tony Mowbray.
It has not always been easy for Roberts, and he has come in for criticism at times, but that is only because the Wearsiders know just how excellent he can be.
This season, the 27-year-old has appeared back to his best, with the winger clearly enjoying from Regis Le Bris’ free-flowing attacking approach.
Since their League One days, the club have continued to evolve, but plaudits must go to Roberts, who has remained and performed through a period of change.
| Patrick Roberts’ Sunderland statistics by season – per Transfermarkt | |||
| Season | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 2021/22 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022/23 | 48 | 5 | 7 |
| 2023/24 | 32 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024/25 | 28 | 2 | 5 |
While Roberts was predicted for more than Championship football, the player deserves respect for persevering and finding the appropriate club for him.
The winger only needed a house, and now that he has one, he will focus on the Premier League, where he has unfinished business.
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