Sam Greenwood, Joe Hugill, Bali Mumba, Josh Coburn, Francis Okoronkwo and Logan Pye are among a list of former Sunderland academy prospects that slipped through the club's fingers in the depths of League One.
The loss of such highly rated youngsters, who could have played a part in the Black Cats renaissance in the third tier, remains a huge disappointment in the eyes of supporters.
Both Greenwood and Coburn came up against Sunderland in the recent 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough and although each case above has its own story, there was a clear inability to hold onto their rising stars.
But not anymore.
At the time of writing, Sunderland are fifth in Premier League 2, above the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool. With 20 points from their opening 11 games, the Under-21s have already matched last season's disappointing points tally, where they won just five games all season finishing third from bottom of Division 2.
A change in structure to the way Premier League 2 would work this year, saw Division 1 and Division 2 merge. Promotion and relegation now scrapped, with all 26 Category 1 academies competing in one division.
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The 26 teams were grouped into five pots based on their performance in the competition over the past three years. Teams now face each club in their respective pot, as well as four or five teams from all other pots, either at home or away.
At the end of the 20 fixtures, the combined table will determine the play-off positions, with the top 16 teams advancing to the knockout stage to compete for the overall title. With nine games to go, Sunderland are well in that mix.
It's a huge contrast to this time a year ago, where they struggled at the bottom end of Premier League 2 Division 2, crashing out of the Premier League Cup in the group stages.
So what's changed in the last 12 months?
In terms of work behind the scenes, not a lot, but it's the investment from the beginning of this new regime that's starting to come to fruition. The coaches at the Academy of Light are sticking to a clear blueprint for player development and they're starting to reap the rewards of the plans that were introduced following Kyril Louis-Dreyfus' takeover at the club almost three years ago.
"I think since they've come in they've really emphasised the importance of youth," Sunderland U18s lead coach, Jordan Moore told We Are Sunderland after reaching the last 16 of the FA Youth Cup, the furthest the club has been since 2017.
Chris Rigg, Matty Young and Tommy Watson are three of those eligible to play Under-18s football who've also been included in the first-team set-up this season.
"We have a pathway for players," Moore continued. "We want to progress them through and we look at each individual holistically, to make sure that what they need, we can provide. It's pleasing that we know the work we try to put into the boys is beneficial for them.
"I think you've got to look at them holistically and make sure that the challenge for each player is right. Just because Chris Rigg is back with the Under-18s, it's still a big challenge for him.
"Chris normally trains around the first-team so there's a little bit of added pressure when he comes back to his own group. The game is a little bit more chaotic but they're just good challenges and learning experiences.
"I think all the staff are really well aligned with the common goal and it's all about the players. It's never about anything else but what we do for the players. You look tonight, [the 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town in the FA Youth cup] Joe Neild comes on - Under-16, showed a little bit of quality with that cross into the box. The future is bright."
The Under-18s have played their FA Youth Cup games under the lights at the Stadium of Light and while that remains a good experience for the group, there's a clear underlying message - win.
"You don't sort of want to give one barometer on it," sporting director Kritsjaan Speakman told We Are Sunderland when asked about the progress in the competition this season. "The FA Youth Cup is fantastic, I've been involved with it at previous clubs and I think it's a real nice spectacle for the young players to come and play for their team.
"For us, we move those games to the stadium because we think it's a real opportunity to play there. We know not every player will progress through to the first-team, so for them to represent Sunderland at the Stadium of Light will be something they'll cherish forever.
"We're really pleased with the progress and we do need a competitive element of player development. For them to have that, 'you need to win today' is an important part of adapting to first-team football."
It's a message that's clear from the board, right down through the club, to the coaches and youth players. The Black Cats may have been knocked out of the competition but it won't see a drastic change in methods behind the scenes.
"The staff are happy with the commitment towards the end and the fact they didn't let the game run away from them," Moore said following the 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town last Friday night. "We got back into it but we do want that little bit of extra quality and it wasn't from a lack of trying, that's one thing we can't say to the lads.
"Obviously it's Under-18s football so it's still development for them, yes you want to win. I think the experience they've had of playing Middlesbrough in the stadium, going to Gillingham which was another different test.
"You've got the travel, the overnight stay, the conditions, the type of pitch, they'll all put the lads in good stead as they progress through the age groups. It's been a great experience for them and lets see where we get next year."
The Black Cats were impressive in the earlier rounds of the competition in a 5-2 win over Boro, midfielder Josh Robertson impressing and scoring against the Teessiders.
However, like the talents listed at the beginning of this piece, Robertson has since moved on to Premier League side Brighton for an undisclosed fee on deadline day at the beginning of this month/
Clearly a huge talent, the Black Cats had expressed a desire to keep him at the club, but Speakman has explained why his departure of the 18-year-old was the right move for all parties, with Sunderland no longer powerless to Premier League clubs when they come calling for their best talents.
"With regard to Josh [Robertson] it's really difficult," Speakman said. "We're trying to make sure we deliver a programme that players want and players need.
"That doesn't necessarily always fit them and it's hard. There's a lot of other football clubs that are out there that are trying to steal your players and we've had a really good record recently of retaining talent.
"Josh just felt he wasn't in a position where he felt he could commit to what we were offering him and where we were. He plays in a position on the pitch where we've got other players at the club and we couldn't make guarantees on certain things, which I don't think we should be doing.
"We got to a point where we presented him with a choice. On the one hand we're losing Josh but on the second hand we've got young Rhys [Walsh] who is joining us bar a little bit of paperwork which I think just shows, from our football club, whether it's senior first-team players all the way down to our youth team, we're trying to acquire talent where possible."
It's clear from their standing in Premier League 2 and their cup progress, there's a plethora of talent in their midst.
16-year-old Chris Rigg remains the crown jewel from that crop of players, with Sunderland fending off interest from Manchester United and arch rivals Newcastle United for his services in the summer.
Handed his first-team debut last season under Tony Mowbray, the England youth international has been on the periphery this season, struggling in the first-half of the campaign with an injury after returning from U17 World Cup action with the Three Lions.
Rigg has split his game time across the U21s and his own age group as he regained his fitness. Now back fully fit, he was handed his first opportunity under Michael Beale in the 3-1 win over Stoke City, impressing the Black Cats boss in a second-half cameo from the bench.
"I was pleased with Riggy at the weekend by the way, he's in FA Youth Cup action but I was pleased with him," the Sunderland head coach said. "For a young boy - we don't want to call anyone young in this building because we believe in them, so it's your talent - he showed me he doesn't want to just be getting bit parts, he wants to play.
"I think the second part of the season was always going to be where we'd see him more, but that depends on a lot of factors, injuries and he's young.
"16 is young, so you have to speak about the age, but he doesn't want us to because he feels he's ready. It was always going to be the second-half of the season where he'd get more minutes but that's fitness and form as well.
"Last week [against Stoke] the midfield three played really well and I thought he came on and contributed to that. He's got a no fear mentality, he's a leftie which gives us a really good balance.
"Just with Leo and Callum coming in, then if you're promoting Riggy as well in the second part of the seasons, that balance is really important. Aji will be back probably around the Southampton game, if everything goes well. The balance between right and left, for any team that's possession based like us, is really important."
"It's very hard for a player of his age to be any further forward that he already is," Beale said leading up to last weekend's clash with Boro. The FA Youth Cup game with Swindon Town on Friday night ruled Rigg out of selection for the Tees-Wear derby.
"I haven't looked closely at the England (U17s) squad he went away with to the World Cup, but what I will say is that Riggy, in his club is probably a lot further forward than those guys, if not the furthest forward," Beale added.
"In terms of appearances and the fact that he trains with the first-team every day. Without comparing him to players, what I do like about him is his mentality.
"He's got the mentality of a young boy from the local area that is really living his dream and it's important he keeps the mentality like that because it'll take him a long way.
"That's almost like a super strength he's got. You talk about his technique, his passing, his energy, but his mentality if you can - with all young players - keep that mentality there, the best ones keep it longer than others.
"I think he can play a part now, certainly if we don't play with a number ten but with two eights high, or a flat three, I think he gives us great balance on the left."
Rigg wasn't alone in making the squad against Stoke with five academy graduates named in the squad. The aforementioned Watson and young centre-half Ben Crompton also made the bench against the Potters, while midfielder Caden Kelly was named among the substitutes for the clash with Boro at the weekend.
The investment into the academy and coaching has shown positive early signs, but the signing of young players for the first-team, who are also eligible to play Under-21s football, has also played its part in an improvement in Premier League 2.
New signing Romaine Mundle got his first run out in red and white for the U21s in 1-0 win over Bristol City on Monday night. Luis Hemir Semedo scoring the winner to secure qualification for the next round of the competition.
The Portuguese forward, along with Mason Burstow, Nectar Triantis and Eliezer Mayenda - among others - have all featured for the U21s at some point this season, sending a message to the homegrown youngsters coming through about the level they need to be at, if they want to break into that first-team set-up.
"I think as a coach, when you get players of their ilk dropping down, it certainly makes games like this a lot easier," Sunderland U21s assistant coach John Hewitson said. "I think our lads, the Under-21s and Under-18s lads have to step up to the plate, match them or better them to try and get their place.
"It's a big dog eat dog, but I think the inclusion of the first-team players adds quality which is only going to give you a better outcome eventually. Then we just want to flood more of our own homegrown players into the first-team as much as we can.
"I think again, going back to being selfish and greedy, we want to do as well as we can in the cups and the leagues but it's ultimately getting players in the first-team squads.
"Getting them on the pitch and having a certain amount of appearances so we're having a real impact as an academy, providing that value to the club so ultimately, the board or the chairman doesn't have to go out and spend X amount on players or wages, we're trying to promote our own. We want to do as best as we possibly can and that's our role."
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There's been a meticulous approach in managing which age group the likes of Rigg and Watson represent so far this season, in order to fulfil their potential, but those plans aren't limited for just those two.
"They're very talented players so they need the challenge," Hewitson added. "We don't want people to coast. We want them to be pushed every single day, not just for the club but for themselves as we want them to reach their potential.
"Sometimes it just comes organically and it just happens. With a lot of the players, there is a plan for them. There's a strategic plan for each player to progress at different levels at different stages of the seasons, or potentially the next season. Everything is mapped out and planned.
"It's not just off the cuff probably like it was years ago. Sometimes, some of the players have dips and have to go back a bit, while others really surprise you and think 'oh, they might have to go up two levels rather than one.'"
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