Sunderland ‘madman’ footballer saves dog on beach as fans praise ‘true hero’

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    Sunderland's "madman" Luke O'Nien helped rescue a dog from the water at Wearside beach – two days before their clash with Coventry.

    Eyewitnesses at the scene, described an elderly dog swimming in the sea, before it ran into difficulty on Thursday evening. The owner of the dog was able to pull it safety, when reports added a young man – O'Nien – was seen running over to aid.

    O'Nien pumped the dog's chest, until it started to cough up seawater and breath once more. Sunderland have confirmed to the Sunderland Echo that it was indeed the midfielder at the scene.

    "The way this doesn’t even surprise me he’s just such a lovely fella," one fan tweeted. While a second added: "So when does this guy genuinely receive Legend status for us then? Can't dislike the man!"

    READ MORE: Love Island's Chris Hughes speechless as ex's husband signs for his beloved Sunderland

    And while O'Nien is loved on the pitch at the Stadium of Light – he's managed to rub other fans the wrong way, with some branding him a wind-up merchant.

    In March, as Sunderland battled for promotion back to the Premier League, they faced a crunch encounter with Norwich. And O'Nien prematurely celebrated the win with a cheeky kiss.

    What do you think of Luke O'Nien's actions? Let us know in the comments section

    However, that kiss wasn't to a loved one, or even a team-mate, it was planted in the direction of Norwich defender Jacob Sorensen after the pair clashed on the by-line.

    The Norwich man was infuriated with O'Nien – and he grabbed the star by the throat. Amazingly, both men avoided a booking for their little scuffle.

    And it was this small incident that started to coin O'Nien as the Black Cats' "madman" with one fan tweeting: "He played like a man possessed once again. Tackled like a madman, headed everything, covered every blade of grass. Nothing short of immense.”

    On the funnier side of the spectrum, O'Nien was booked last season after he took a piggyback from Bristol City's Alex Scott when trying to stop a counter-attack.

    To add more comedy to the situation – O'Nien appeared to give Jones a peck on the cheek.

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