GOING off memory, which admittedly is not particularly great, the last time I issued a match rating of 10 to a player was after watching Middlesbrough claim a UEFA Cup final place in 2006.

That night, after coming from three goals down to win 4-3 on aggregate, every Boro player got the magic number for claiming a place in the Eindhoven showpiece after defeating Steaua Bucharest.

Even if some players did not deserve it for their performance on the night, the entire squad deserved it for such a fantastic achievement. Reaching a European final needed to be applauded.

There are some readers that still remember those ratings to this day believe it or not, and I still get hammered for it. I won't name names, but the feeling was that certain individuals didn't warrant it.

Anyway, fast forward three years and a few months, and I have been stung with criticism again.

The game: Sunderland 1 Liverpool 0.

The player/rating: Lorik Cana - 10.

Anyone at the Stadium of Light on Saturday should have been amazed by the quality of performance from an Albanian international, formerly of Marseille, that very few of them would have heard of last season.

Now, wearing the captain's armband, Cana has already etched himself into Wearside folklore with a performance against Liverpool that will live long in the memory of those there.

He may not have scored, he may not have been sent off, but what he did do was stop absolutely everything that came his way. Whether he was in midfield or defence, he was there, blocking things and heading clear.

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres might have been missing for Liverpool, but let's not detract anything away from Cana's performance.

If he didn't deserve a 10, why didn't he? In my mind he turned in the complete, all-conquering defensive display that has been lacking at the Stadium of Light for a number of years.

For all of those who disagree, your wrong. Just like Steve Bruce stuck to his guns in the wake of the David Beckham 'scandal', I'm doing the same now.

Lorik Cana ..... TEN