:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52910791/84682750.0.jpg)
Kader Mangane - Signed from Al-Hilal 2013 - 6 Month Loan
Standing at 6ft4, he had previously been given a four month ban from professional football for a tackle so bad, it broke Jonathan Lacourt’s tibia and fibia.
Sounds like our kind of player right? Wrong. The bloke didn’t even look like a professional footballer when playing in the reserves. He did make his debut in our 0-3 win at St. James though, so you know, at least he managed to experience beating the Mags.
Danny Graham - Signed from Swansea 2013 - £5m
Whilst at Watford, Danny Graham was asked by the club's official programme which club he would support if it wasn’t boyhood club Newcastle, and he replied:
Put it this way. I would stay as far away from Sunderland as I could.
However, he left fairly well-liked by the Sunderland supporters.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7868367/472751688.jpg)
Always willing to battle for the shirt, you could be forgiven for thinking his inclusion in here was a little bit harsh. One goal (off his arse I may add) in 37 games however means he’s fully deserving of his place among this lot. Sorry Danny.
Tal Ben Haim - Signed from Manchester City 2009 - 6 Month Loan
Despite arriving with a fairly decent reputation, Tal Ben Haim proved to be awful.
Having performed excellently for Big Sam at Bolton, he managed to win moves to Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea and then to newly rich Manchester City, so we could be forgiven for thinking he was a shrewd acquisition - sadly, he was crap by the time we got him.
Ricky Sbragia remarked at the time of the signing, "I've worked with him previously and I know what I'm getting". It should come as no surprise that Ricky wasn't offered the manager's job full time.
Rade Prica - Signed from Aalborg 2009 - £2m
A debut goal for the Swedish international gave us all hope that he would be the out-and-out goalscorer we needed to compliment big Kenwyne Jones perfectly.
He didn’t though - he was turgid.
In a season of Paul McShane’s and Roy O’Donovan’s, the former Aalborg striker was one of the worst. He was quite simply nowhere near Premier League standard, and Roy Keane knew it:
He couldn’t control a ball, nor could he win a ball in air.
He made a a total of five appearances from the bench after his goal-scoring debut, but after being brought off having already been substituted on during a defeat at Anfield - we all knew we had bought yet another dud.
Wayne Bridge - Signed from Manchester City 2012 - 6 Month Loan
Wayne Bridge was finished by the time he arrived here - and in his eight appearances at Sunderland his only memorable contribution was allowing Shola Ameobi to sneak in a goal at the far post unmarked and unchallenged when we faced Newcastle.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7865303/141632157.jpg)
Sotirios Kyrgiakos - Signed from Vfl Wolfsburg 2012 - 6 Month Loan
Another of Martin O’Neill’s horrific January recruits was the giant Greek defender, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, from German outfit Wolfsburg.
Only appearing four times for the club, he still managed leave behind some haunting memories with his performance against Everton in our FA Cup Quarter Final replay back in 2012, playing in a pacey back line alongside Michael Turner that night.
One week later we managed to concede two goals almost immediately after he was brought on to help protect a 1-3 lead at the Etihad Stadium. Following that game, he was mysteriously never seen again - I wonder why.
Benjani - Signed from Manchester City 2010 - 6 Month Loan
Dear God... this boy was pap.
After smashing in twenty four top flight goals prior to his move to Wearside, he failed to hit the back of the net once, instead spending most of his time on the pitch chasing shadows.
Benjani became a bit of a joke by the time his loan deal ran out. He later moved onto Blackburn Rovers, before eventually returning to Portsmouth in 2011. It’ll be no surprise to those who witnessed the Zimbabwean in red and white that he managed to notch only five more goals in his entire career before his retirement in 2014.