"I wish him all the best. He has been a good servant to Sunderland. I just hope he goes on to develop like his brother."

It tells you much about Bellingham that this wasn't how he saw it. Sunderland's eventual 16th-placed finish, and the way the campaign had unravelled, rankled. Bellingham vowed to stay, and to be in best position possible to put it right.

Borussia Dortmund have agreed a fee of up to €38million (£32m; $43.3m) with Sunderland for Jobe Bellingham. The German club will pay between €30m-€33m for the 19-year-old, with the additional fee coming from potential add-ons.