Sunderland fans gutted as Rangers loanee Jordan Jones bids heartfelt farewell

• COMMENTS

Many Sunderland fans have expressed their disappointment after Rangers loanee Jordan Jones bid farewell to the Black Cats on social media.

Jones left Ibrox for the Stadium of Light in January on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Plenty of Sunderland fans are gutted that Jordan Jones is heading back to Rangers. (Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images )

The Gers hoped that he would receive regular playing time following a difficult first half of the campaign, while his adopted side hoped he would help them to promotion.

The spell was a mixed one, with the 26-year-old racking up 20 League One appearances, scoring three goals and notching four assists, as Sunderland reached the playoffs but crashed out at the semi-final stage to Lincoln City.

Jones received rave reviews for some particularly bright displays in the early stages of his stint, while his strike in a 2-2 draw at Crewe in February was spectacular.

However, he still struggled a little with consistency, missed some matches due to injury and didn’t fully nail down a spot in the XI, with manager Lee Johnson leaving him an unused substitute for the play-off semi-final second leg.

The Black Cats confirmed earlier this week that Jones was heading back to Ibrox and the winger took to Twitter and Instagram with messages to Sunderland supporters on Friday evening.

“Good luck to Sunderland for the future,” he wrote on Twitter. “A massive club which I loved playing for.”

“Thank you for the opportunity and a big thank you to the fans for all the love and support since I arrived. I look forward to seeing the club where it belongs in the future. Thank you.”

On Instagram, he posted a similar message alongside a clip of him scoring in a League One clash against Portsmouth.

Many Sunderland fans wanted Jones to stay in the North East but although a permanent move hasn’t officially been ruled out, the tone of his messages and a reply to his Instagram post from the club’s majority shareholder, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, which read “thanks for everything and all the best”, suggest a return next season isn’t on the cards.

Here’s a selection of reactions from SAFC supporters:

https://twitter.com/bbekahmargaret/status/1398334052885692417

In other news, the UEFA competitions committee have made a big decision that could affect Rangers next season.