Michael Ingham (footballer) - Club Career - Sunderland

Sunderland

Having been watched by a number of clubs Ingham joined newly-promoted FA Premier League club Sunderland for a fee of £30,000 on 28 July 1999 following a trial in February. He was loaned out to Third Division team Carlisle United on 1 October, making his Football League debut the following day in a 1–1 draw against Southend United. He finished the successful spell with seven appearances for Carlisle. He returned to Northern Ireland by rejoining former club Cliftonville on loan for the first three months of the 2000–01 season on 11 August 2000 to gain more first team experience, saying "That's why I jumped at the chance of three months back in my old jersey. There was an option to join Lincoln City instead but they were only offering reserve games." He finished this spell with 20 appearances, with the last coming on 1 January 2001 before being recalled by Sunderland. He made his Sunderland debut by starting in a 4–2 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup on 12 September, which proved to be his only appearance of the 2001–02 season. This appearance resulted in former club Cliftonville receiving a payment from Sunderland, which was agreed when he was transferred to Sunderland. He joined Stoke City in the Second Division on a one-month loan on 18 December, where he failed to make any appearances after joining as cover for Neil Cutler following an injury to Gavin Ward.

Ingham was forced further down the Sunderland pecking order after the signing of Thomas Myhre in July 2002 and he joined Stockport County on a one-month loan on 23 August. He made his debut in a 3–1 victory at Lincoln in the League Cup and the loan was extended for a second month in September, before being recalled by Sunderland in October due to an injury crisis. Despite this, he was forced further down Sunderland's pecking order after they signed Mart Poom on loan from Derby County and after considering handing in a transfer request he joined Darlington on a one-month loan on 22 November. He made three appearances before returning to Sunderland in December. He featured for Sunderland in a friendly against Hull City for the opening of their new ground, the KC Stadium, which made him the first away goalkeeper at the ground, while also being the last to play at Hull's former ground, Boothferry Park, which was his final appearance for Darlington in a 1–0 victory over Hull, during which he denied Stuart Elliott from scoring on three occasions. He joined Third Division side York City on a one-month loan on 24 January 2003 after goalkeeper Alan Fettis left to join Hull, who Ingham made his debut against in a 0–0 draw on 25 January. His loan at York was extended for second and third months in February and March and he finished the spell, during which he performed well, with 17 appearances.

His second Sunderland appearance came in a 4–2 defeat against Huddersfield Town on 23 September and in a reserve team game in January 2004 he was sent off for head butting West Bromwich Albion's Simon Brown. He was signed by Wrexham a one-month loan on 15 March 2004 following an injury to Andy Dibble, with the loan being extended until the end of the season on 16 April. He finished this spell with 11 appearances for Wrexham, as well as featuring in the 4–1 victory over Rhyl in the FAW Premier Cup Final. He threatened to leave Sunderland in May if he would not be guaranteed first team football the following season. After training with Blackpool Ingham joined Doncaster Rovers on a one-month loan on 1 November, where he played in two games. Ingham was set to join Coventry City on transfer deadline day in March 2005, but Sunderland cancelled the transfer due to an injury to Poom. His league debut for Sunderland came in a 2–1 defeat against Reading on 9 April 2005, which he entered as a 45th minute substitute due an injury to Myhre. Despite suffering a neck injury, he made his first league start in the following game, a 2–2 draw with Ipswich Town on 17 April, after which manager Mick McCarthy said "He knows he's playing for a future elsewhere and I think that overall he's handled a bloody tense situation really well". He finished 2004–05 season with two appearances for Sunderland and on 8 May the club announced he would be released when his contract expired on 30 June.