THIS time last year, Dennis Cirkin was facing up to the reality of a long spell on the Sunderland sidelines.

Having started the first five games of last season, Cirkin suffered a hamstring problem that would limit his game-time in the weeks that followed and ultimately cut short his season.

It was a year ago this week that Cirkin felt a recurrence of the problem in the warm-up ahead of Sunderland's game at Birmingham City and had to replaced in the starting XI. He wouldn't play again all season, with a decision made in January that surgery was required to get to the bottom of the problem.

How different the picture now looks for the 22-year-old. Is there a left-back in the Championship you'd rather have in your side? Probably not. He's played every minute in the league so far for Regis Le Bris' side and has been one of the shining lights for the Championship table-toppers. His form has inevitably led to some transfer speculation, with Leeds United having been heavily linked in the last week or so.

But Cirkin doesn't sound like a player in a hurry to leave the Stadium of Light. And why would he? He's playing, shining, improving. And having endured the difficult side of the game last season, he's now enjoying being fit and flourishing.

“On a personal level, sometimes I think about it and it's just surreal to me,” said Cirkin, reflecting on the comparison between this season and last.

"Going a whole season with three recurring injuries was a dark time and then looking at this season, I'm doing my best to keep fit.

“At the end of the day, I'm just enjoying it and that's the most important thing, I think, is just to enjoy it with the ups, the downs, the challenges. I think I thrive off the pressure, off the challenges."

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Cirkin admits he battled a rollercoaster of emotions last season but thanked those around him who helped him through - including Sunderland's club captain Luke O'Nien.

O'Nien is a hugely important figure on the pitch for Sunderland and is just as influential behind the scenes.

Cirkin said: “I think you just find a way to cope. Especially because for me, I'm young, so I won't have any answers. I think I just learned as I went, going through highs, lows, different ways of learning

“I have very good people around me. I just want to give a big shout-out to Luke, a really good man. It goes so under the radar how much of an effect he has on the team, on the individuals, on everyone around the club.

"He's a big character in the dressing room helping everyone out."

While Cirkin has the left-back spot nailed down in the Sunderland side, Le Bris has some defensive decisions to make in the weeks ahead. Trai Hume is suspended for the trip to Millwall after the international break so the head coach will be forced into a tweak there.

But at centre-half he's spoilt for choice, with Aji Alese this week pictured back in training after his lay-off. Dan Ballard has also put his injury issues behind him and both returning defenders will be pushing O'Nien and the impressive Chris Mepham in the hope of an opportunity.