Tommy Watson was bound for the Premier League this summer regardless, but the teenage goal ace is taking Sunderland with him.

Watson, who has agreed a £10million end-of-season move to Brighton, came off the bench to settle the Championship play-off final at Wembley with a wonderful goal in the 95th minute.

It completed a spectacular turnaround for the Wearsiders, who trailed from midway through the first half until Eliezer Mayenda’s equaliser in the 76th minute.

Watson’s winner crushed Sheffield United, still searching for their first promotion via the playoffs and for their first Wembley win in 100 years.

The Blades had set off with great purpose and were almost ahead inside two minutes, denied by a fabulous Anthony Patterson save. Gustavo Hamer delivered from the left and Kieffer Moore climbed high to win it in the air.

Sunderland have been promoted to the Premier League after winning the play-off final

Tom Watson fired into the bottom corner in stoppage time to down Sheffield United at Wembley

Brighton-bound Watson coolly picked his spot to settle the £200million showdown

Patterson reacted brilliantly, down to his left to claw out a powerful downward header but central defender Luke O’Nien damaged a shoulder in his desperation trying to push Moore in flight and put him off.

There was a stoppage of more than five minutes for treatment and although it could not prevent O’Nien’s early departure it did take the wind from Sheffield United’s sails.

Sunderland slowly found some rhythm, but no sooner did Mayenda set off on a threatening run and win a corner than they went behind, conceding a goal on a scintillating break.

Rhian Brewster headed the corner kick clear out, and Hamer picked it up and sped down the pitch with deceptive pace. Tyrese Campbell was the only teammate in support. Not only did Hamer see him but he found him, a clever pass with the outside of his right foot threaded through the legs of Sunderland’s recovering defenders.

Campbell accepted the pass with his right foot and clipped a tidy finish over the diving Patterson with his left. Twelve seconds from the corner at one end to the goal at the other. The scorer pointed to the heavens. Eleven months after losing his father Kevin, who started up front for Arsenal in the FA Cup final of 1993, he had a goal.

The Blades thought they had a second through Harrison Burrows, who lashed a headed clearance back into the Sunderland net on the volley with his left foot, only to find the goal wiped out by VAR. 

Vini Souza had been offside and ruled to have interfered with the goalkeeper’s view of the ball.

The overrule recharged Sunderland.

Eliezer Mayenda scored the crucial equaliser after the Blades dominated large spells

Mayenda crashed into the top corner to kickstart the turnaround at the national stadium

Sheffield United took the lead when Tyrese Campbell coolly chipped over the goalkeeper

Chris Wilder celebrated the goal wildly but his side were left stunned at the final whistle

A second goal for the Blades was ruled out after keeper Anthony Patterson was impeded

Referee Chris Kavanagh was advised to check his pitchside monitor before chalking it off

Patterson saved superbly from Kieffer Moore’s header in the early stages of the contest

Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien was forced off injured after dislocating his shoulder in a tangle

They improved before half time and made a strong start to the second half, roared on by their vociferous supporters, but for all the promise as they zipped passes around, they could not find a way to penetrate United’s solid defence.

Wilder’s back four sat deep and threatened on the break as their opponents took risks in search of an equaliser and made attacking substitutions. Andre Brooks had been on less than five minutes when a slip by Dennis Cirkin presented him with a glorious chance to stretch the lead.

Patterson saved it with his feet to keep the game on a knife-edge and Hamer, the Championship’s player of the season and the best player on the pitch, hobbled off moments before Sunderland, suddenly more creative with Enzo Le Fee in a central position, found a way back.

Patrick Roberts collected a pass from Le Fee and picked out Mayenda on the move and unattended to his right, and he hammered his 10th goal of the season past Michael Cooper.

Then on came Watson, born in County Durham, to steal the glory with his final kick as a Sunderland player and launch Regis Le Bris and the Mackems back into the Premier League.