Hjelde leaves Sunderland with 'cult status'

[Getty Images] Leo Hjelde's exit to Belgian Pro League side KV Mechelen has sparked the conversation at BBC Radio Newcastle around his cult hero status. The Norwegian centre-back featured 19 times for Sunderland in the Championship in 2024-25 on their way up to the Premier League, before going on loan to Sheffield United last season. While the 22-year-old missed out on playing in the top flight, football commentator Nick Barnes believes Sunderland fans can agree that without his contributions towards the end of their promotion campaign, they may never have made it back up in the first place. Barnes said: "Someone posted on social media: 'No Leo Hjelde, no Dan Ballard goal, no Ballard goal, no Tommy Watson winner, no Watson winner, no promotion, no promotion, no Granit Xhaka, no Xhaka, no Europa League so therefore, no Hjelde - no Europa League'. "So you can see how that can be fashioned into cult status for Hjelde because, not only did he come on as a substitute a minute before Ballard scored that goal at the Stadium of Light to get to the play-off final, he came on a minute before Tommy Watson scored the winner at Wembley as well. "So he has engineered himself into a sort of niche, if you like, within Sunderland's history for being that bit-part player at the end of both those two play-off games." Listen to the full clip below by pressing play below or on BBC Sounds here