Not playing over the Easter break felt surreal. For what I believe is the first time in my lifetime, Sunderland had a weekend off during this period. It was a stark reminder of our missed opportunity in the FA Cup. Had we shown up against Port Vale in the last round, a glamour tie at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea could have been ours. Instead, we watched from the sidelines, with the squad now fully focused on preparing for the massive Premier League clash against Tottenham at the Stadium of Light.

Watching Southampton and Leeds battle into the FA Cup semi-finals naturally sparked a bit of envy, but it also gave me time to reflect on our own incredible journey. My attention then turned to the Championship, and it only reinforced my gratitude that we are no longer part of that grueling promotion circus. The pressure is immense, as Middlesbrough fans are discovering—their grip on automatic promotion has slipped, opening the door for Ipswich or Millwall. Teams that lose momentum at that critical stage often struggle in the playoffs, a brutal reminder of how difficult escaping the EFL truly is.

Our promotion story last season was a genuine fairytale, filled with pivotal moments where everything could have gone differently. We seized our chance, and now we're reaping the rewards with a brilliant campaign back in the top flight. The challenge for everyone at the club is clear: we cannot afford to waste this hard-earned progress. The mission is to keep building, keep improving, and ensure we never have to navigate that punishing EFL grind again. The Premier League is where we belong, and staying here is the ultimate goal.