Jason Steele has successfully rejuvenated his career at Brighton following a challenging stint as a goalkeeper with Sunderland in the 2017/18 season. Steele, who previously expressed doubts about continuing his football career after Sunderland’s relegation from the Championship in 2018, made 15 league appearances for the Black Cats during a difficult campaign highlighted in the Netflix documentary Sunderland ‘Til I Die.
The 33-year-old, now a key player for Brighton with 23 Premier League appearances, including seven in the current season, reflected on his move during an interview on Football Focus.
Steele mentioned that the decision to join Brighton as a second-choice goalkeeper in 2019 was influenced by his challenging experience at Sunderland. Although he has not watched the documentary and has no plans to do so, he emphasized that the period in Sunderland is something he has moved on from.
Steele discussed the hardships he faced during his time at Sunderland, expressing how he had reached a point where he questioned whether football was still the right path for him. Unpleasant experiences, both on and off the pitch, had taken a toll on his personal life, making him reluctant to even take his kids to school. The opportunity to join Brighton came as a chance to rediscover his passion for football, with financial considerations taking a backseat to the prospect of falling in love with the game again.