Dennis Cirkin sends Sunderland message following play-off heartbreak | OneFootball

Sunderland defender Dennis Cirkin has taken to Twitter to thank his side's fanbase for their support during the 2022/23 campaign, also expressing how gutted he was that he couldn't play a part in their play-off games.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man scored a crucial brace during the latter stages of the campaign to help fire the Black Cats into the play-off mix, with those goals proving to be crucial in guiding Tony Mowbray's team to a top-six finish.

Unfortunately, he couldn't make it back in time to play a part in either of their play-off games against Luton Town, something that would have been extremely frustrating for him considering he could have made a real difference.

The Wearside outfit were very short of options in central defence, something that would have allowed Cirkin to start if he had been fit and available.

What happened against Luton Town?

The Hatters had taken the lead early on in the first leg and that was a blow for the Black Cats who would have been hoping to make a positive start to the game at the Stadium of Light.

They did manage to turn things around though, with Amad Diallo and Trai Hume's goals allowing them to take a 2-1 advantage to Kenilworth Road, giving them a massive chance of getting to the final.

However, their attacking players failed to produce the goods in Bedfordshire and it was Luton who managed to get through in the end, with goals from Gabe Osho and Tom Lockyer taking Rob Edwards' side to Wembley.

What did Dennis Cirkin post?

Posting after taking a few days to recover from the defeat at Kenilworth Road, Cirkin tweeted: "First things first, immensely proud of this team, the fans and this club. Through all the challenges we faced this season, we fought right till the end and unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.

"Absolutely devastated I didn’t get the chance to help the team due to injury, it’s been a difficult season for me with a lot of ups and downs but also had the chance to watch this team as a fan and enjoy the incredible football we’ve played with some incredible players.

"All season the support has been class, home and away, so thank you to every one of you."

What next for Sunderland?

Tony Mowbray's side did an excellent job during the 2022/23 campaign and the fact they managed to get themselves into the play-offs should be seen as a real achievement.

Not only were they short of defenders - but they also had Ross Stewart unavailable and had a very limited number of options up top.

They may have had the likes of Jack Clarke, Diallo and Patrick Roberts at their disposal - but they still did an excellent job and you also have to consider the fact they have an inexperienced squad.

With Dan Neil and Pierre Ekwah lining up together in the middle of the park, that reinforces the fact the Black Cats are a young team.