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Height, Experience & Pace: Three Blackpool stars to watch out for in Sunderland’s game tonight

A handy target man, a young defender linked to Wearside and a forgotten Premier League name are the players most likely to cause us problems in tonight’s game...

Blackpool Gazette

Armand Gnanduillet

League One Games/Goals: 27/6

Tall and agile, the Ivorian has been the Seasiders stand out player this term and is their top scorer with ten goals in all competitions.

Gnanduillet is in his second spell at Blackpool, although he was only away from the Seasiders for a total of two months strangely, with a move to South African club Baroka not working out due to never being formally registered as a player for the Polokwane-based club as they had exceeded their foreign player quota. Bizarre.

Anyway, manager Terry McPhillips won’t be complaining about that with Gnanduillet proving to be Blackpool’s most dangerous player this term. His height and genuine unpredictability caused Jack Baldwin and Tom Flanagan issues on New Year’s Day and we’ll have to be just as vigilant on Tuesday’s night.


Nathan Delfouneso

League One Games/Goals: 26/6

Remember him? Of course you do! The former Aston Villa academy graduate has been a vital cog in the Blackpool team since joining on a free transfer from Swindon Town back in 2017 and is now into his THIRD spell at the Lancashire club.

A player with a solid pedigree, he’s still unbelievably only 28-years-old and is more than capable causing issues with his pace and large frame at League One level.

He plays just off the aforementioned Gnanduillet, usually in a front three with fellow wing forward Joe Dodoo, and the trio are a huge reason that Blackpool hover around the play-off places despite the lack of harmony around the club.

Direct, fast and experienced, Delofouneso maybe didn’t reach the potential Aston Villa hoped, but with Blackpool, he’s every bit as dangerous as you’d expect.


Ben Heneghan

League One Games/Goals: 26/1

The Manchester born centre-back has been in impressive form on loan at Blackpool this season and was allegedly close to joining ourselves in the January transfer window - the second time he’s been linked with a move to Wearside in a year.

Imposing at 6’3, Heneghan rose to prominence in Scotland whilst at Motherwell and was linked to numerous Championship clubs before Sheffield United swooped in to purchase the former Stoke academy graduate for a fee of £500k. Unfortunately for the defender, he couldn’t find a way in to the team at Bramall Lane, but Sheffield United’s loss has been Blackpool’s gain.

He’s pacey and can play anywhere across the right hand side of defence, and is the man most likely to be tasked with making sure Will Grigg doesn’t set the Stadium of Light on fire on his home debut.

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