Anthony Patterson in 2026: Net Worth and Salary, Transfer, Injury, Wife, Height and FAQs

Anthony Patterson's story is one of those football journeys that genuinely moves you if you follow it properly. He is a North Shields lad who has been at Sunderland since he was ten years old. He has won two Wembley play-off finals with the club, helped them climb from League One to the Premier League, and made over 160 appearances for a side he grew up supporting. The fact that he is now on loan at Millwall in the Championship while Robin Roefs holds down the Premier League number one shirt at the Stadium of Light is a difficult chapter, but it is not the end of the story.

Questions about his personal life, his salary, how tall he is, whether he is married, and what his transfer situation looks like are all coming up regularly in searches. This article covers all of it properly.

Anthony Patterson Profile 

Early Life and Background

Anthony Patterson was born on 10 May 2000 in North Shields, a town in Tyne and Wear in the northeast of England. He grew up in the region and joined Sunderland's Academy of Light at the age of ten, which means he has been part of that club for over fifteen years. For a goalkeeper, that kind of long-term development within one system is increasingly rare, and it explains a lot about his loyalty to Sunderland and the connection he has with the club's supporters.

His early development as a goalkeeper was shaped by a very particular pathway. Sunderland goalkeeping coach Mark Prudhoe made a point of sending young goalkeepers out into non-league football early, exposing them to physical, demanding environments before they had fully established themselves. For Patterson, that meant loan spells at Ryton and Crawcrook Albion and Sunderland RCA in the Northern League from the age of 16, playing in a man's league in genuinely high-pressure situations while still a teenager.

The people who coached him during that period remember him clearly. One coach at Ryton noted that he commanded his area well for a young boy, came for crosses, was brave, and kept clean sheets in high-pressure games when they were battling relegation. It is the kind of early pressure that either builds a goalkeeper or breaks them. In Patterson's case it built him, and the journey from those Northern League grounds to two Wembley play-off finals is one of the most quietly impressive development stories in English football.

Career Journey and Transfer History

Patterson signed his first professional contract with Sunderland in July 2018, earned his first competitive senior appearance in November 2020 in an EFL Trophy defeat to Fleetwood Town, and gradually worked his way into the frame as a genuine first-team option through loan spells at Ryton, Sunderland RCA, and Notts County in the National League.

The turning point came midway through the 2021-22 League One season. After a loan stint at Notts County was recalled due to an injury to Lee Burge, Patterson stepped in and never really stepped back. He played a key role in Sunderland's League One play-off campaign, starting the final against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley, where the club won 2-0. His calm performance in that game announced him to a much wider audience.

The following three Championship seasons were exceptional by any standard. He made 48 appearances in 2022-23, 45 in 2023-24, and 45 in 2024-25, keeping 14 clean sheets in each of the first two of those campaigns. Over those three years he became one of the most consistent goalkeepers in the Championship and earned recognition outside of the north east, including the Football Writers Association North East Young Player of the Year award in 2023.

His 2024-25 season ended with another defining Wembley moment. In the Championship play-off final against Sheffield United on 24 May 2025, Sunderland won 2-1 with a dramatic late goal. Patterson was outstanding throughout, including a stunning denial of Kieffer Moore's header that proved crucial. He was named Man of the Match, and it was the right call.

With promotion secured, Sunderland moved to bring in Robin Roefs from NEC Nijmegen for around 11.5 million pounds. Patterson handled the news of that signing with real maturity, publicly stating he was ready to compete for the number one shirt. Sunderland were transparent with him about their intentions, and his contract was improved with performance-related clauses triggered by Premier League qualification. Despite that, regular Premier League football did not come his way in 2025-26, with Roefs immediately establishing himself as first choice. On 1 February 2026, Patterson joined Millwall on loan for the remainder of the season, continuing to work at Championship level rather than sitting on a Premier League bench.

Anthony Patterson Injury History

Patterson has had a generally strong fitness record throughout his career, but there have been some notable moments of concern that affected both him and Sunderland at key points.

Ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season, it was reported that Patterson was recovering from a minor injury in the final weeks of pre-season, with the expectation that he would be available for the opening Premier League match against West Ham on 16 August 2025. That timeline was met and he returned to training without any complications.

Earlier in his career, the recall from his Notts County loan in December 2021 came about partly because of the injury situation affecting Sunderland's other goalkeeping options, which gave Patterson his first sustained run in the first team. That chain of events, while not an injury to Patterson himself, was the circumstance that unlocked his Sunderland career.

As of mid-2026, there are no significant injury concerns publicly recorded against his name. He has been available and playing regularly for Millwall during his loan spell, which is the most meaningful indicator of his physical health at this stage of the season. For a goalkeeper who has played well over 160 senior club appearances by the age of 26, his durability has been a consistent strength.

Anthony Patterson Height

Anthony Patterson stands at 1.91 metres, which is approximately 6 feet 3 inches. For a Premier League goalkeeper, that is a good working height. It gives him the aerial presence needed to dominate his penalty area and get across his goal effectively, while not being so tall that his ground-level quickness suffers.

His goalkeeping coach Lee Butler at Sunderland praised his handling and shot-stopping ability specifically, and those strengths tend to combine well with his physical profile. He is a goalkeeper who reads the game rather than relying purely on athleticism, and at 1.91 metres he has the frame to handle most aerial challenges at Championship and Premier League level. His save percentage of 71.4 percent in League One and around 68 to 70 percent across his Championship campaigns reflects consistent output rather than flashes of brilliance.

Anthony Patterson Wife

Anthony Patterson has not confirmed being married or publicly identified a partner in any interview or official club communication. He keeps his personal life entirely private and has not spoken about relationships in any public setting. No credible reporting has published information about a wife or girlfriend.

He is 26 years old and has spent the majority of his adult life focused on building a professional football career at his hometown club. His personal life appears to remain his own business, which is consistent with how he carries himself in public generally: quiet, professional, and focused on football rather than off-pitch profile.

Anthony Patterson Net Worth and Salary in 2026

Anthony Patterson earns approximately 20,000 pounds per week at Sunderland, which equates to roughly 1.04 million pounds per year. This figure was confirmed in salary tracking data for the 2025-26 season and reflects a contract that was improved following Sunderland's Premier League promotion, with performance-related clauses built into the deal. Whether his loan terms at Millwall involve any salary contribution from the Championship club has not been publicly confirmed.

His market value is currently estimated at approximately 9.4 million euros by transfer data platforms, which places him among the more valuable backup goalkeepers in English football. That valuation reflects both his Championship-proven track record and the fact that his age and contract situation make him an attractive proposition for clubs looking for a quality number one.

Taking into account his career earnings from 2018 when he signed his first professional contract through to his current improved Premier League deal, Icon Polls estimates Anthony Patterson's net worth in 2026 to be between 5 million and 8 million dollars. This accounts for eight years of professional wages at Sunderland, accumulated at progressively higher rates as his profile grew, along with any signing-on components from his contract extensions. Commercial income has not been a feature of his public profile, which is consistent with his generally private approach.

Frequently Asked Questions About Anthony Patterson

1. Who is Anthony Patterson?

Anthony Patterson is a 26-year-old English professional goalkeeper contracted to Sunderland AFC and currently on loan at Millwall in the EFL Championship. He is a Sunderland academy product who has been at the club since the age of ten.

2. Where was Anthony Patterson born?

He was born on 10 May 2000 in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, in the northeast of England.

3. How tall is Anthony Patterson?

He stands at 1.91 metres, approximately 6 feet 3 inches tall.

4. What position does Anthony Patterson play?

He plays as a goalkeeper. He is right-footed and has represented England at Under-21 level.

5. What club does Anthony Patterson play for in 2026?

He is contracted to Sunderland AFC until June 2028 and is on loan at Millwall in the EFL Championship until June 2026.

6. Why is Anthony Patterson on loan at Millwall?

With Robin Roefs firmly established as Sunderland's first-choice Premier League goalkeeper following his arrival in August 2025, Patterson moved to Millwall on loan on 1 February 2026 to continue playing regularly at Championship level rather than serving as a backup.

7. When does Anthony Patterson's Sunderland contract expire?

His contract runs until 30 June 2028. It was improved following Sunderland's Premier League promotion, with performance-related clauses triggered by qualification.

8. Does Anthony Patterson have a wife?

There is no publicly confirmed information about a wife or girlfriend. He keeps his personal life private.

9. What is Anthony Patterson's salary?

He earns approximately 20,000 pounds per week at Sunderland, around 1.04 million pounds per year for the 2025-26 season.

10. What is Anthony Patterson's net worth? Icon Polls estimates his net worth in 2026 to be between 5 million and 8 million dollars, based on his career earnings from 2018 through to his current improved Premier League contract.

11. What is Anthony Patterson's market value?

His transfer market value is estimated at approximately 9.4 million euros as of 2026.

12. Has Anthony Patterson played in the Premier League?

He was part of Sunderland's Premier League squad in 2025-26 but did not start in the league, with Robin Roefs taking the first-choice role. He moved to Millwall on loan in February 2026 for Championship playing time.

13. How many appearances has Anthony Patterson made for Sunderland?

He has made well over 160 senior club appearances for Sunderland across League One, the Championship, and the Premier League squad, playing in three different divisions during his time as a regular starter.

14. Did Anthony Patterson play in the 2025 Championship play-off final?

Yes. He started the play-off final against Sheffield United on 24 May 2025, produced outstanding saves including a crucial denial of Kieffer Moore's header, and was named Man of the Match as Sunderland won 2-1 to secure Premier League promotion.

15. Did Anthony Patterson play in the 2022 League One play-off final?

Yes. He also started that final against Wycombe Wanderers at Wembley, where Sunderland won 2-0, keeping a clean sheet. It was one of his first major high-profile appearances and announced him to a national audience.

16. Has Anthony Patterson been injured?

He picked up a minor injury in the pre-season build-up to the 2025-26 Premier League campaign but returned before the opening match. No significant long-term injuries are on his public record across his career.

17. Has Anthony Patterson played for England?

Yes. He made his England Under-21 debut on 10 June 2023 as a half-time substitute in a 2-0 defeat to Japan at St. George's Park. He has represented England at youth international level.

18. What awards has Anthony Patterson won?

He was named the Football Writers Association North East Young Player of the Year in 2023, recognising his outstanding 2022-23 Championship season which included 14 clean sheets from 48 appearances.

19. What was Anthony Patterson's save percentage in the Championship?

He recorded a save percentage of around 68 to 70 percent across his three Championship seasons at Sunderland, with 71.4 percent during the League One campaign that brought promotion in 2022. These are consistent, strong figures for a goalkeeper at that level.

20. Who trained Anthony Patterson during his early career?

He was significantly influenced by Sunderland goalkeeping coach Mark Prudhoe, who championed sending young keepers into non-league football early. Patterson credits those loan spells at Ryton, Sunderland RCA, and Notts County as crucial to his development.

Anthony Patterson's story in 2026 is a complicated one emotionally, particularly for Sunderland fans who have watched him grow from a quiet ten-year-old in the academy to the goalkeeper who saved Sunderland's promotion chances at Wembley not once but twice. The arrival of Robin Roefs was always going to change the dynamic, and Patterson has responded to it with the same quiet professionalism that has defined his whole career.

He is 26 years old, under contract until 2028, valued at close to 10 million euros, and playing regularly in the Championship at Millwall. The next chapter of his career will be defined by what he does when that loan ends. Does he return and fight for the Sunderland number one shirt? Does a permanent transfer materialise? Does a Premier League club take a closer look?

Whatever comes next, the foundation he has built is solid. Two Wembley finals, three outstanding Championship seasons, a North East Young Player of the Year award, and an England Under-21 debut: this is a goalkeeper whose best football may still be ahead of him.