City and Sunderland have shared plenty of players over the years, from title winners and internationals to players who moved directly between the two clubs.
Ahead of Sunday’s Premier League meeting at the Etihad, we have picked an XI made entirely from players who represented both Man City and Sunderland.
As with our Everton-Ipswich version, this isn’t necessarily a best XI. The idea is to build something resembling a balanced side while picking out some of the more interesting connections.
GK: Tony Coton
Coton was City’s first-choice goalkeeper for much of the early 1990s and became one of the club’s most popular players of the era.
His Sunderland connection came towards the end of his career, when he joined the Black Cats after leaving Manchester United.
There is another City-Sunderland link involving Coton, too. When he was sent off against Derby County in 1991, Niall Quinn went in goal, saved the resulting penalty and helped City win 2-1.
RB: Nedum Onuoha
Manchester-born Onuoha came through City’s academy and established himself in the first team before the club’s transformation into regular trophy contenders.
He joined Sunderland on loan for the 2010-11 season and became a regular under Steve Bruce, producing one particularly memorable solo goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
CB: Joleon Lescott
Lescott enjoyed by far the more successful part of his career with City.
Signed from Everton in 2009, he made 160 appearances and won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and League Cup during five seasons at the Etihad.
His Sunderland spell was much briefer. Lescott joined the Black Cats in January 2017 and made only a couple of appearances during their relegation season.
CB: Jason Denayer
Denayer came through City’s system but never made a competitive senior appearance for the club.
Sunderland took him on loan for the 2016-17 campaign, when he featured regularly during their final Premier League season before relegation.
His City connection nevertheless qualifies him for our purposes, even if his first-team career was made elsewhere.
LB: Wayne Bridge
Bridge joined City from Chelsea in January 2009 as the club began assembling the squad which would eventually challenge for major honours.
By 2012 he had fallen out of the first-team picture and spent the second half of the season on loan at Sunderland.
RM: Nicky Summerbee
A particularly good crossover.
Summerbee spent three years with City after joining from Swindon Town in 1994 and became a familiar figure on the right wing at Maine Road.
He moved to Sunderland in 1997 and was part of Peter Reid’s side which won promotion to the Premier League with 105 points in 1998-99.
CM: Claudio Reyna
The United States international played for Sunderland before moving to City.
Reyna joined the Black Cats from Rangers in 2001 and later signed for City in 2003, spending several seasons at the club under Kevin Keegan and Stuart Pearce.
CM: Jack Rodwell
Rodwell’s City career never really developed as hoped after his move from Everton in 2012.
He was part of the squad which won the Premier League in 2013-14 before joining Sunderland that summer.
Rodwell spent four seasons on Wearside during a difficult period for the club which included relegation from both the Premier League and Championship.
LM: Patrick Roberts
Roberts joined City as one of English football’s most highly rated teenagers in 2015, although most of his time contracted to the club was spent on loan elsewhere.
After eventually leaving City, he joined Sunderland in January 2022 and became part of the side which won promotion from League One later that year.
He went on to spend several seasons at the Stadium of Light.
ST: Niall Quinn
The first name on the teamsheet.
Quinn joined City from Arsenal in 1990 and became a popular figure at Maine Road, with perhaps his most famous afternoon coming when he scored against Derby County before replacing the dismissed Tony Coton in goal and saving a penalty.
He moved to Sunderland in 1996 and became an even bigger figure on Wearside.
Quinn scored the first goal at the Stadium of Light – against City – and later returned to Sunderland as manager and chairman.
Few players link these two clubs more strongly.
ST: Andy Cole
Cole arrived at City in 2005 after his long and prolific Premier League career had already taken him through Newcastle United, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Fulham.
He spent one season at City before moving to Portsmouth.
Sunderland was one of his final stops, with Cole joining Roy Keane’s side in 2007 and making a handful of appearances before leaving the following year.
The Man City-Sunderland XI
Tony Coton; Nedum Onuoha, Joleon Lescott, Jason Denayer, Wayne Bridge; Nicky Summerbee, Claudio Reyna, Jack Rodwell, Patrick Roberts; Niall Quinn, Andy Cole.
There were plenty of alternatives. Shay Given and Costel Pantilimon offered serious competition in goal, while Benjani, Stephen Elliott, Dickson Etuhu, Craig Russell, Jeff Whitley and Tal Ben Haim are among the other players to have represented both clubs.
But any City-Sunderland crossover side really has to revolve around Quinn.
Scorer, emergency goalkeeper, Stadium of Light history and, eventually, Sunderland chairman.
Quite a crossover.
LIVE! Premier League 2026/27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments
