Alan Shearer is asked if he wants Sunderland back in the Premier League and his answer is hilarious

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Newcastle United vs Sunderland has not been a Premier League fixture since March 2016.

The North East rivals have only met once since that date, with Newcastle United taking on Sunderland in the FA Cup back in January.

Newcastle won 3-0 at the Stadium of Light, with the Black Cats rolling out the red carpet. They gave the Magpies a full stand all to themselves, decorated one of their bars in black and white, and then gifted Newcastle two of their three goals.

That cup tie highlighted the huge gap between the two clubs. At the time, Newcastle were on the back of competing in the Champions League and recording a famous win over PSG, while Sunderland were showing no signs of ever getting out of the Championship under Michael Beale.

But now they are managed by Regis Le Bris, and their fortunes have changed. Sunderland are currently top of the Championship, and eyeing a return to the top flight.

Position	Team	Played MP	Won W	Drawn D	Lost L	For GF	Against GA	Diff GD	Points Pts
1	SunderlandSunderland	15	9	4	2	25	11	14	31
2	Sheff UtdSheffield Utd	15	10	3	2	19	7	12	31
3	LeedsLeeds	15	8	5	2	24	9	15	29
4	BurnleyBurnley	15	7	6	2	18	6	12	27

Alan Shearer comments on Sunderland possibly being promoted

That would also mean a return for the Tyne Wear derby, which would delight Toon legend Alan Shearer.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Rest Is Football podcast, Shearer was asked if he would like to see Sunderland win promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, he took the chance to mock Newcastle’s biggest rivals, before offering a serious answer.

“Yes, definitely,” he said.

“Absolutely. We want Sunderland back in the Premier League because it’s guaranteed six points for us, isn’t it?

“That might come back and bite me in the future.

“You want to play in those games. They’re great derby games to play in St James’ and it’s Sunderland. So, yeah, I want them.

“I do actually want them back up because they’re not only good games for the players, but for the fans to look forward to as well.”

• READ MORE: Who is Alan Shearer? Stats, Height, Wife, Daughter, Net Worth

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle relished the derby in January 2024

There were so many nerves heading into that FA Cup game in January. Newcastle simply had to win. They were the Premier League team with top level players. They were on a bit of a hiding to nothing, but were able to get the job done in a professional manner and win 3-0.

And the St James’ Park crowd continue to sing about that victory, as cries of ‘who put the ball in the Mackems’ net’ ring out whenever Alexander Isak scores a goal.

Eddie Howe’s players rose to the occasion. They were not overawed, despite most of them being unfamiliar with the fixture. It was a commanding win, on the back of some terrible derby displays from Newcastle teams of the past.

But Howe’s Newcastle are different, and his side would relish the chance to play in more derbies and create more memories for the Toon Army.

However, calling it a ‘guaranteed six points’ might be a little bit premature from Shearer!