Recovering Egan hoping to impress O’Neill again

It’s approaching a year since John Egan’s physical and mental pain subsided after a surprise visitor to the Darlington Woodlands Hospital.

The beaming smile of Martin O’Neill emerging through the door of the ward was enough to lift the stricken Sunderland player from the anguish that afflicted him the night before.

In just his fourth game of a loan spell at Bradford City, designed to sculpt him for Black Cats duty, Egan landed awkwardly to snap both his fibula and tibia of his left leg. Having his season written up in a split-second was harrowing, yet soon cushioned by the message delivered from Ireland’s newly-appointed manager.