"Buzzing" - Aaron Connolly reacts to big personal Sunderland AFC moment v Hull | OneFootball

The 24-year-old signed for the Black Cats as a free agent in September, before making his debut against his former club on Sunday.

Aaron Connolly has sent a message to Sunderland supporters after making his debut for the club against his former side Hull City on Sunday.

The Black Cats ran out 1-0 winners at the MKM Stadium to tighten their grip on top spot in the Championship, with Wilson Isidor's sublime 63rd minute goal the difference between the two sides.

Regis Le Bris' side have won seven of their ten league matches so far this season, and are currently first in the second tier, a point ahead of Burnley, who beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at Hillsborough on Saturday.

While victory will be at the forefront of the minds of fans, Connolly making his first appearance for Sunderland since joining as a free agent in September is another boost in what has been an excellent start to the 2024/25 campaign.

The 24-year-old had been building up his fitness with the club's development teams ahead of Sunday's clash, and will be hoping to play even more of a role going forward as the early race for promotion begins to heat up.

Connolly sends message to supporters after making debut

It has been an incredibly tough few years for Connolly since bursting onto the scene at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, but he will be hoping to finally find a settled place at a club that is looking upwards after recently disclosing his addition to alcohol.

The nine-time capped Republic of Ireland international spent a month in rehab during the summer following the expiration of his contract at Hull, and is now looking to get his career back on track following such a bright start.

While his cameo against his ex-club at the weekend was relatively brief, it was a huge step in the direction for the striker who scored eight times for the Tigers last season.

Connolly sent a message to supporters on his X account following his debut for Sunderland, as he looks to build up minutes in the first-team in the coming weeks.

Connolly being a fantastic back-up to Isidor is crucial for Sunderland

While it is still very early days in his time at Sunderland, there are positive signs for Connolly, and playing back-up to Isidor could be the perfect way for him to start building up his game time.

The Black Cats' number 18, who is on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg has enjoyed a good start to life in England, scoring three times in his first seven appearances in the Championship.

His recent record of finding the back of the net has eased any fears that Le Bris would have had in terms of finding a striker who could consistently score due to Sunderland's lack of goals from the forward positions last season, and bringing in Connolly to help back him up from the bench could prove to be a masterstroke.

There is still a long campaign ahead, and while they have made an impressive start, there is a lot of positivity surrounding the Stadium of Light currently, and it is an environment where success looks to be brewing.

If Connolly can show signs of his former self regularly, then the Black Cats are in an extremely fortunate position, and they may just be able to rely on goals from not only those starting, but also from the bench.