AFTER dropping down to the third tier of English football, Alex Pritchard’s honestly revealed that his desire for the game was dwindling fast after numerous years of injury problems and fitness issues. However, one year on Wearside playing a starring role in Sunderland’s ascent back to the Championship, his love affair with football is back.

Last summer, Pritchard was 28 and without a club after Huddersfield decided he was surplus to requirements. The story his career to then had been one of a promising talent, capped for England Under-21’s, that had seen his career hampered by injuries. With other clubs higher up the divisions not prepared to chance their arm on Pritchard, Sunderland did. Initially, it sounds like it was a move made through gritted teeth but a choice he was glad to make.

“Last time I played in League One was when I was 19-years-old, I didn’t want to play in League One” he said. “When I first came to the club, I told of lot of people close to me that I don’t want to be in this league. I’ve come here and I’ve gave it absolutely everything. I’ve played through calf tears and it’s just unbelievable to do it.”

47 appearances, four goals and a successful play-off campaign has seen Pritchard ‘do it’.

The club’s upturn in form in recent months has largely come down to their change in manager. Alex Neil took the reigns at the back end of February and has taken the club on a 16-match unbeaten run back to the Championship ending with the weekend’s Wembley win over Wycombe Wanderers.

The club has a lot to thank Neil for but Pritchard also has plenty of thanks to give to his predecessor. “I give a lot of credit to Lee Johnson” he added.

Johnson manufactured a deal to bring Pritchard to the club on a two-year deal and was willing to put plenty of faith in him before his sacking back in January. The previous manager, now in charge of Scottish Premier League side Hibernian, knew there was a player in there and knew what was required to tap into his potential but could see a broken footballer who was quickly falling out of love with the game.

Standing near the Wembley tunnel having just got his hands on the League One play-off trophy, Pritchard revealed: “He knew my situation and my love for football probably wasn’t there. He brought me here and he just said ‘I need to make you love football again’.

“I remember the words he said. He said if you love football again, I’ve got no doubts in you. If you don’t love football then, I know what will happen. To be fair to him, he made me love football again.

“He gave me that fire in my belly again and then obviously, things happen in the season and he went.

“Alex Neil come in and I know what he’s about. I’ve been under Alex Neil. It’s know what it’s about and it’s all about working hard and doing everything. He will give you freedom up the top of the pitch. We’ve got the quality up there. The problem was conceding goals. We’ve stopped doing that and now we can see why.”

While the defensive rearguard has been tighter than ever towards the end of the season, the attack has been as potent at ever. Pritchard’s man of the match award for his performance at Wembley along with Elliot Embleton’s striker and Ross Stewart’s finish is a testament to that.

The attacking midfielder clearly feels right at home in a Sunderland squad that has ended what has felt like a long overdue stay in League One. Having reluctantly dropped down to a level of football, his climb back up the football pyramid feels like it has come with the right side and the right players after a turbulent few years.

Pritchard continued: “Honestly, I’m buzzing because it’s my first year here and I’ve done it. This team have done it.

“People like Lynden Gooch have been here for years. For us to do it for players that have been here a long time, they’ve had so much hurt and now it’s time to enjoy it. We go again next year.

“The togetherness is unbelievable. We’ve had some bad moments this year but we keep coming back. We keep coming back and the fans deserve it. The players deserve it.”