Alan Sunderland
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Sunderland | ||
| Date of birth | 1 July 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Conisbrough, Yorkshire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1969–1971 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1971–1977 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 158 | (30) |
| 1977–1984 | Arsenal | 206 | (55) |
| 1984 | → Ipswich Town (loan) | 15 | (3) |
| 1984–1986 | Ipswich Town | 43 | (8) |
| 1987 | Derry City | 4 | (2) |
| National team | |||
| 1974 | England U23 | 1 | (0) |
| 1976 | England U21 | 1 | (0) |
| 1978–1981 | England B | 7 | (1) |
| 1980 | England | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1996–1997 | Birkirkara | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Alan Sunderland (born 1 July 1953) is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal and Ipswich Town. He was capped once for England.
Sunderland was born in Conisbrough, Yorkshire, and began his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers as an apprentice in the playing in the midfield. He made nearly 200 appearances with 30 goals in total for the Midlands side, winning the 1974 League Cup and the Football League Second Division championship in the 1977 season for the Wolves.
In November 1977, he joined Arsenal for £220,000; wherein his role as a midfielder, he switched position to a centre forward. Sunderland became a regular starter for the club, playing in the 1978 FA Cup Final, which Arsenal lost to Ipswich Town.
Sunderland's most famous moment came in the 1979 FA Cup Final; Arsenal had gone 2–0 up against Manchester United, with goals from Brian Talbot and Frank Stapleton, and looked set for victory with only five minutes remaining. However, United scored twice in three minutes, with goals from Gordon McQueen and Sammy McIlroy, and extra time loomed. In the very last minute of the match, however, Arsenal pushed forward in a desperate counter-attack; Liam Brady fed Graham Rix on the left wing, and his cross was converted by Sunderland at the far post to make the score 3–2, and win Arsenal the cup.
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