A proud and tearful Micky Gray saluted the players of "his club" and Sunderland manager Alex Neil after watching them achieve what he admits he thought was impossible.
Working for talkSPORT at Wembley Stadium, an emotional Gray struggled to sum up the feelings of himself and the fans as he watched the Black Cats' players celebrate on the hallowed Wembley turf after beating Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 to seal their place in the Championship next season.
After four years of League One football, Sunderland have taken a major step back towards were they belong and the scenes in London were almost too much for Gray, Sunderland born and bred, with over 350 appearances for the club to his name.
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A year on since winning at Wembley in front of an empty stadium with no fans due to Covid, the Sunderland supporters, most of which had never seen their side win at Wembley, made sure to savour every moment. Gray was one of those.
"It is special, it really is special just to see this in front of us at Wembely," he told talkSPORT. "I didn't think it was ever going to happen. Every time you come here you have that expectation that things aren't going to go your way.
"What a group of players. Alex Neil coming in halfway through a season. What he has achieved at this football club, at my football club. They never deserved to be in League One in the first place.
"They have had to spend four years there and we have done it the hard way of getting out this league. It's just incredible. I can't be any prouder of the players. It is a special moment and something they will never forget."
