KIERON BRADY
Kieron Brady is a former left winger and forward whose career in the professional game ended through injury at 21. Having joined Sunderland AFC from school, it was at the young age of 17 that he made his first team debut. With an incredible array of skills and natural talent he enjoyed a wonderful rapport with the Sunderland fans.
As his career looked set to blossom he was forced into early retirement as a result of a blood condition. Despite a premature retirement he is still fondly remembered by fans of Sunderland and Doncaster Rovers; the latter through spending a month on loan with the club. His career ended with statistics that show he averaged a goal or assist for almost every game he started. This despite his tender years, meaning that for the majority of his brief time in the professional game he was still young enough to play for the youth team at Sunderland.
Former Sunderland manager Denis Smith described him as a ‘genius’. Ex-Sunderland captain and England internationalist Michael Gray said ‘He is the most talented footballer I have ever seen’.
The perpetual memory for many Sunderland fans regarding Kieron is, when only 18, he turned in a virtuoso performance against West Ham United. He scored one, assisted two and played a part in another as Sunderland beat West Ham 4-3, a display that many fans regard as the finest, individual performance ever by a Sunderland player.
