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There was something strange about watching Dennis Cirkin come on at Wolves. Not because he looked out of place and not because he did anything particularly dramatic.

But because, in a season where he has become increasingly peripheral, it served as a reminder that he is still here. Still a Sunderland player. Still part of this squad. Still one of the few remaining members of the group that started in League One and followed the club all the way back to the Premier League.

It now feels very much as though the decision has been made. Cirkin has made just eight Premier League appearances this season, Reinildo Mandava is firmly established as Régis Le Bris’ first-choice left-back and, with the 24-year-old out of contract this summer, all signs point towards a departure. That is not especially surprising given the way the season has developed, but it still feels like a real shame.

There is no serious argument over the pecking order. Reinildo has been outstanding, and Sunderland’s progress has been built on raised standards, difficult decisions and a willingness to move on quickly when the club believe they can improve. That is the reality of Premier League football and, in fairness, it is part of the reason Sunderland have reached this point so quickly.

Cirkin arrived from Tottenham Hotspur as a talented young player with potential and grew with Sunderland through two promotions, long injury setbacks and some of the most important moments in the club’s recent history. If he leaves this summer, he will not be remembered as a footnote. He will be remembered as a player who played his part in getting Sunderland back to where they believe they belong.

Having interviewed Cirkin several times over the years, most recently after his first Premier League start against Leeds, the impression has always been clear. He cares about Sunderland. There is an honesty about him, and a connection to the club that has always come across as genuine. In modern football, that cannot be the only reason to offer a contract, but it should still count for something.

Sentiment alone cannot dictate squad planning. Sunderland are not in a position where they can keep players purely because they are popular, well-liked or linked to the club’s recent journey. The standard has changed, the level has changed, and the demands on every position are higher than they were even 12 months ago. Cirkin’s injury record has been an issue, his minutes have been limited, and his route into the team has narrowed considerably.

We have already seen that unsentimental approach applied elsewhere. Dan Neil and Anthony Patterson were as closely associated with Sunderland’s rise as anyone, both academy products and both central to the club’s climb from League One, yet neither has been insulated from difficult decisions.

Neil is now on loan at Ipswich Town and his Sunderland contract is due to expire this summer, while Patterson had to contend with the arrival of another goalkeeper for a significant fee before later joining Millwall on loan. That is the level Sunderland are operating at now. There will always be respect for what players have given the club, but decisions are increasingly being shaped by what comes next rather than what has gone before.

Those are legitimate football reasons Florent Ghisolfi and Le Bris will have weighed them up. Given Sunderland’s recent recruitment record and the speed of the club’s rise, they have earned the right to make hard calls. But that does not remove the sense that allowing a player of Cirkin’s age, quality and connection to walk away for nothing is a regret.

It does feel counter-intuitive, particularly when Cirkin remains young, technically solid and already tested at Premier League level. But the reality is now fairly clear. Sunderland believe they can find greater upside in the market, while Cirkin will understandably want more football at a stage of his career where another season on the fringes would do little for him.

That is why the situation has started to feel like the natural end of the road. His brief appearance at Wolves felt less like a route back in and more like a reminder of a player who has quietly slipped towards the exit. Sunderland may be right from a football perspective, and Cirkin may be right to seek a bigger role elsewhere, but that does not make it feel any less regrettable.

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Sunderland cannot and will not stand still, and the club’s recent success has been built on resisting that temptation. If Cirkin does leave this summer, it will be difficult not to look back with a sense of regret. He has been a good player for Sunderland, a popular figure with supporters and a genuine part of the journey from League One to the Premier League. Letting that go for nothing feels like a shame, even if the reasoning behind the departure makes complete sense.