Sunderland announce release list with 14 players leaving including Love Island legend’s husband and ex-Man Utd starlet

CHAMPIONSHIP club Sunderland have revealed that Corry Evans and Bradley Dack will both leave next month when their contracts expire.

The two stars were part of 14 players that were left off the Black Cats’ retained list.

Evans, 33, and Dack, 30, both endured injury problems this season as the North East side failed to reach the play-offs.

Versatile Northern Ireland international Evans, who has featured in both defence and midfield, started his career at Manchester United.

After loan spells at Carlisle and Hull City, he joined the Tigers permanently in 2011. 

He spent two years there before Blackburn swooped to sign him and he enjoyed eight years at Ewood Park.

Evans signed for Sunderland on a free transfer in 2021 and he captained the club as they won promotion back to the Championship via the play-offs.

But the star suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January 2023 and only returned to training with the club in March.

He managed to make three appearances in the closing stages of what turned out to be a miserable end to season for Sunderland.

Meanwhile, Dack only arrived at the Stadium of Light on a free from Blackburn Rovers last summer.

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But he has suffered a number of injury issues that have restricted him to just one goal in 16 appearances.

The attacker was a fans’ favourite at Ewood Park, playing 173 times for Rovers over six years.

The ex-Gillingham ace also hit the headlines when it emerged that he was dating former Love Island star Olivia Attwood.

They had actually been introduced by mutual friends at a swanky London nightclub before she entered the villa, with the pair getting engaged in 2019.

Dack finally tied the knot with Olivia following a series of Covid-related delays in a stunning ceremony last year after his switch to Sunderland.

Sunderland have also released Jack Diamond, 24, with the club opting not to trigger a one-year extension following a loan spell at Carlisle United.

Fellow academy graduate Ellis Taylor, 21, is also departing.

Loanees Mason Burstow and Callum Styles have returned to their parent clubs, Chelsea and Barnsley.

And Ben Creamer, Callum Wilson, Connor Pye, Daniel Obolo, Harry Gardiner, Jayden Sekete, Joe Ryder, Kailem Beattie, Michael Spellman and Thomas Chiabi will depart the academy.

Having led the club to the Championship play-offs the previous season, Tony Mowbray was surprisingly sacked in December with the club ninth in the table.

He was replaced by Michael Beale – but after six defeats in his opening 12 games, including a 3-0 home FA Cup loss to rivals Newcastle United, he was also axed in February.

That led to popular coach Mike Dodds being placed in interim charge for the remainder of the campaign, where Sunderland ended up finishing a disappointing 16th.

Will Still and Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl are two of the names being linked with becoming a permanent successor.