Singer-songwriter Tom A. Smith picks his all-time Sunderland XI in our new feature, Sport Playlists: Dream Team.
The 22-year-old Sunderland native is a lifelong fan of his hometown Black Cats, having previously spoken about his support for the club with BBC Sport and OneFootball.
The fast rising young musician has undergone a period of creative evolution for his latest EP, Put On A Record Tommy, with the deluxe edition of the record released earlier this month via Fiction Records. The project has seen Tom increasingly blur the boundaries between indie-rock, pop and the euphoric possibilities of the dancefloor, taking an increasingly hands-on role in shaping and producing his music, allowing him to follow ideas instinctively rather than confining himself to a particular version of what a Tom A. Smith record is expected to sound like.
The deluxe edition of the EP pushes the world of Put On A Record Tommy considerably further. Alongside original favourites ‘SFX’, ‘Our Song’, ‘The Only One’ and its title-track come new additions including ‘Am I Ever Gonna Be A Rockstar?’, ‘Dance Floor Magic (Groove Wizard)’, ‘Carried Away’, ‘No Matter What’ and ‘The Band’, as well as Tom’s take on Talking Heads’ ‘Life During Wartime’ and extended mixes of ‘Our Song’ and ‘Put On A Record Tommy’. You can listen to ‘Dance Floor Magic (Groove Wizard)’ on Mackems Music – our unofficial Sunderland AFC fan playlist on Spotify.
Tom A. Smith’s Dream Sunderland XI
Goalkeeper: Vito Mannone
Tom: Sunderland have been quite good for goalkeepers but Vito is between the sticks for his 2014 League Cup Semi-Final penalty shootout performance against Man United alone.
Tom: Dan Ballard provided myself and probably every other Sunderland, fan the greatest moment of our lives. Coventry at home, 122nd minute. It was limbs, I think I ended up about three rows in front hugging someone I’d never met.
Right Midfield: Amad Diallo
Tom: I was torn between Diallo and [Patrick] Roberts and to be honest it could have been either of them. They came as a pair and would rotate between the 10 and on the right. Amad won the hearts of every Sunderland fan and that’s why you never fall in love with a loan player.
Centre Midfield: Enzo Le Fée
Tom: This guy is the most entertaining footballer I’ve seen play for Sunderland. He’s so creative and I’d argue he’s top 3 number 10’s in the league right now, but I may just be being biased.
Centre Midfield: Granit Xhaka
Tom: I said I could make this just a team of our current players and the midfield two is that. Xhaka is the best player I’ve seen play for Sunderland. He’s such a great character and he’s captained an entire city in all honesty.
Left Midfield: Jack Clarke
Tom: The second from our Championship days. Clarke was so good. 28 goals in two seasons for us off the left. The Clarke-Diallo-Roberts trio were one of best attacks in recent Championship times. We were unlucky to not go up that season.
Striker: Jermaine Defoe
Tom: Arguably one of the best swap deals of all time: Joey Altidore out, Defoe in. He was so clinical and would rack up 15-16 goals a season for us, even when we were fighting to stay in the league at the age of 33-35. That volley against Newcastle is one of the best goals I’ve ever seen in person.
Striker: Brian Brobbey
Tom: Leading the line I’m keeping Brobbey. He offers something totally different to any other striker I have seen. Technically, he’s such an underrated player as well. His hold-up play is obviously outstanding but also his passing and drawing in fouls. He doesn’t lose the ball. Quite an instinctive finisher and I think we will get a serious transfer for him in the next year or two.
Manager: Régis Le Bris
Tom: The first Sunderland manager I’ve seen last more than a year and a half and has brought us promotion to the Premier League and qualification for Europe. Loves a low block.
