Lee Burge is convinced Sunderland can go all the way in the play-offs and make up for last season's disappointment. The Black Cats lost 3-2 on aggregate against Lincoln City in the play-off semi-final 12 months ago, despite Burge saving a penalty against the Imps in the second leg at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland have secured a play-off spot for the third time in four years, and they face Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals with the first leg on Wearside on Friday night. Burge is unlikely to be involved this time round with Anthony Patterson having taken over as first-choice goalkeeper, and on-loan Bayern Munich keeper Thorben Hoffmann having been on the bench of late.
But the 29-year-old will be backing his teammates to the hilt as they look to end the club's stay in League One. "Everyone wants promotion - that's what we are striving for," said the former Coventry City man.
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"The lads have dug deep, we are on a good run and we have some good momentum behind us now. We're into the play-offs now and we have to see what happens, but I have full belief that we will do it."
It has been a difficult season for Burge, who began the season as first-choice only to lose his place to Hoffmann, and then at the turn of the year he was one of several players who contracted Covid. While they recovered quickly, Burge suffered heart complications which ruled him out for an extended period but he has now made a full recovery, has recently been on the bench when illness ruled out Hoffmann, and last week he played his first game since Christmas when he asked to play for the U23s and helped them to a 2-1 win against Birmingham City at Eppleton.
He said of his health issues: "It was quite scary. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it's behind me now so I'm not looking back too much. It did take a bit out of me, and I had to talk about my symptoms and found out what it was and hopefully we have sorted it now.
"I was back at home in the Midlands, so I was just able to watch the games on the live stream. It is what it is, you just have to take it in your stride. Everything is OK so I just have to crack on and enjoy whatever happens next.
"It has been just good to be back here and training again, to be honest. It gets a bit boring when you are at home and all you can do is take your dog for a 20 minute walk!
"I'm fully recovered and fit, and if called upon I will be ready to help in any way I can because it has been a great couple of years here for me, to be honest."
Of his return to action for the U23s, he added: "I felt alright. it's been a long time since I've been in those sort of situations, and it was nice to be back in again. "Hopefully now, if called upon, I'm ready."
Burge is one of the group of players who are out of contract at the end of the season and, with the club's promotion fate still hanging in the balance, Alex Neil confirmed recently that no talks with any of those individuals have taken place. But Burge is hoping that he will be offered a new deal to extend his two-year stay on Wearside, although he accepts that it is hardly ideal that Neil has barely seen him play.
He said: "Of course [I want to stay]! But it's up to the club and we will see. Obviously the manager has only seen me for a short period of time so we will see what happens. Hopefully I will be offered something."
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