HE has played in just about every position on the pitch in a Sunderland shirt, but as he looks ahead to the start of the new season, Luke O’Nien is happy to regard himself as a fully-fledged centre-half.

O’Nien has been Sunderland’s Mr Versatile throughout his five years at the Stadium of Light, filling in wherever he has been required under a succession of different bosses.

He was primarily playing as a full-back when Tony Mowbray was appointed in the early stages of last season, but was moved infield to the heart of the back four when the Black Cats’ central-defensive problems started to mount in the second half of the campaign.

While Dan Ballard’s return to full fitness has increased Mowbray’s central-defensive options, with the signing of Nectarios Triantis and Jenson Seelt providing additional depth, doubts over Danny Batth’s future and the departure of Bailey Wright mean O’Nien remains an important figure at the heart of the back four.

He remains more than happy to plug gaps elsewhere if needed, but Mowbray has made it clear that he wants O’Nien to focus on playing as a centre-half.

“Do you call me a centre-half now? You can call me whatever you want,” said O’Nien, who was part of the Sunderland side that kicked off the club’s pre-season preparations with a 4-3 win at South Shields on Saturday lunchtime. “Listen, I know what my job is and I know what I’ve got to do.

“If the gaffer wants me or needs me in other positions, then I’ll play there. I think I’ve made that clear over the last five or six years. But yeah, for the minute, I think I’m a centre-half.”

READ MORE:

Triantis will join up with the rest of the Sunderland squad for the forthcoming tour of the United States, having been given additional time off because of his international exertions at the Toulon Tournament earlier this summer, and Seelt will also hope to challenge for a first-team spot once he recovers from an ankle injury.

The two new arrivals will be direct challengers to O’Nien, but the 28-year-old has found his place constantly coming under threat since he joined Sunderland from Wycombe in the summer of 2018.

“There’s competition at centre-half, but there’s been competition everywhere ever since I’ve been at the club,” he said. “I think that’s healthy and good to have. It drives you forward. Competition has always driven me forward, so I’m really looking forward to the new boys coming in. If we’re keeping each other out, then that’s good because it’s competitive and it means we’re doing well.”

O’Nien played at centre-half at South Shields’ 1st Cloud Arena, and was responsible for the error that led to Sunderland falling behind in the first half.

Ultimately, pre-season matches are all about building up match fitness, with the results an irrelevance, but as a proud professional, O’Nien admits he finds it hard to shrug off a mistake, no matter where it occurs.

“The results don’t really matter, but we’re all professionals and you want to put in a good performance,” he said. “I set up their first goal, and like any other game, whether it’s the first league game of the season, an FA Cup game or a pre-season game, you’re disappointed when something like that happens.

“You still go home and think about it. Everybody in there wants to put in good performances from day one. But it’s also about getting to know each other as a team. You want to win, but whether you win or lose, we know there’s a lot of work we need to put in over the next few weeks. It’s all good.”

Like the rest of the Sunderland squad, O’Nien was ready for a break in the wake of May’s play-off semi-final defeat, and he has enjoyed being able to spend time with his two young children. By the start of this month, though, he was ready to return to the training ground.

The Northern Echo: Sunderland defender Luke O'NienSunderland defender Luke O'Nien (Image: Ian Horrocks)

“I’ve completed every kid’s park in the UK with my two little ones, from Peppa Pig World to Centre Parcs,” he said. “I feel like I’ve had about a year off with those two, out having fun.

“I really enjoyed my family time, and it was nice to switch off, but now you want to switch back on as quickly as you can. I’ve spoken to a lot of people now we’re back together, and I think they’ve all missed it. Now it’s about getting ready and we’re another step closer to that first game of the season.

“The Luton game feels like a long time ago, but it’s still there and I think that kind of defeat really fuels you for the season. There’s still a little bit of pain, and that will drive us on.”