After years of hard work, Daniel Ballard and Trai Hume are set to become Premier League players in August.
The Northern Ireland team-mates played a key role as Sunderland ended their six-year hiatus from the top flight with a dramatic Championship play-off win at Wembley.
Playing in the Premier League is a life-long goal for both players, but both arrived at their current point through very different means.
Defender Ballard came through the 'traditional' path, by working his way through Arsenal's academy.
He didn't make a senior appearance for the Gunners but a number of loan spells brought him to the attention of Sunderland in 2022.