Sunderland may be staring ahead to life in the Championship but one of their fans has at least restored some semblance of pride for the struggling club.
Alastair Drakesmith, a lifelong fan of the Black Cats, beat out 63 other gamers in a FA Cup themed FIFA 17 tournament held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The lucky few involved were randomly selected from over 12,000 applicants to represent their club and compete for glory.
The early rounds, which were formatted like the famous competition itself, were played in iconic locations within Wembley Stadium, including the changing rooms and players tunnel, with the two finalists finally battling it out on Wembley Stadium's 82 foot screens as they sat on the pitch at the Home of Football.