I left Tottenham for Sunderland– now I get to show Roberto De Zerbi what I can do

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Roberto De Zerbi will manage his first Tottenham game this weekend against Sunderland and a familiar Spurs face will be part of the opposition

Dennis Cirkin will be looking to ruin Roberto De Zerbi's debut in the Tottenham dugout as they take on Sunderland in the Premier League on Sunday. The former Spurs academy star made the move to the Stadium of Light in 2021 without making a senior appearance for his boyhood club.

The 24-year-old was named as a substitute by Jose Mourinho for two Europa League group stage matches in late 2020 but failed to get on the pitch. Cirkin was highly-rated in the academy and by Tottenham fans but injury issues and the signing of Sergio Reguilon prevented him from getting any minutes.

He subsequently signed for the Black Cats ahead of the 2021/22 season and was instrumental in their promotion out of League One. He picked up several injuries in the following campaign but still made 28 Championship appearances.

Long-term muscular issues, one of which required surgery, saw Cirkin miss the majority of the 2023/24 season but he was back with a bang the following year as Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League in dramatic fashion at Wembley.

His performances and Spurs' lack of club-trained players for their return to the Champions League saw interest emerge in bringing Cirkin back to north London.

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West Ham United star Kyle Walker-Peters was another homegrown player linked to coming back but neither deal materialised with the buyback clause for Cirkin expiring last summer. Spurs did include a sell-on clause in the switch but he remained at Sunderland.

A major squad revamp has seen Cirkin offered limited minutes at the peak of English football but he will be hoping for a cameo against his former club this weekend.

He made five consecutive Premier League appearances in January, which included 59 minutes against his old club, when several Sunderland stars were at AFCON, but he has featured for just five minutes since early February.

Another minor injury has played a role in that but he has since recovered and was an unused substitute for the huge Tyne-Wear Derby win over Newcastle United before the international break after also coming off the bench against Brighton.

Cirkin has not really had too many opportunities to show his quality and thus it will be a clear message to both his current and former club if he does get on the pitch this weekend.

For De Zerbi, it is a massive first game in charge of Spurs as they look to avoid relegation from the Premier League. The Italian has had at least two weeks to work with some of the squad but some hopeful injury boosts for the trip up north do not look set to arrive despite the extended break.

Mohammed Kudus was one targeting a comeback this month but he has suffered an injury setback, which was confirmed by the club on Thursday, that is likely to see him miss the remainder of the season.