Gareth Ainsworth makes Sunderland play-off final vow after Wycombe tie down star striker to new deal

Gareth Ainsworth has pledged his side will do everything they can to ensure a return to the Championship as they gear up to face Sunderland in the League One play-off final. The Chairboys won at Wembley in the play-off final back in 2020 as they beat Oxford United to win promotion to the second tier.

However, the Chairboys were relegated in the 2020/21 campaign and they're hoping to return to the Championship at the first time of asking. Wycombe secured a play-off spot on the final day, alongside the Black Cats, and seasoned striker Sam Vokes has played a large part in their success.

The 32-year-old has scored 17 times this season and has pledged his future to the club by triggering an extension in his contract ahead of the play-off final. Speaking to the club website, Ainsworth said: “This is a massive statement of Sam’s commitment to Wycombe Wanderers, and of our ambitions to keep this squad as strong as it can possibly be.

“Bringing Sam to Adams Park last summer was a big coup for us and I’d say that keeping him here is even more significant, after the year he’s had. Sam has made this place his home from day one and he’s enjoying his football again after a frustrating period before he came here.

"He’s shown exactly why he’s earned so many caps for his country and played in the Premier League, and he’s led by example on and off the pitch. The owners and I share a plan to get us into the Championship and continue to build this club into something bigger and better than it’s ever been before.

"Sam is a key component to making that happen and it’s a real mark of the man that he’s signed this contract before knowing for certain which division we’ll be in this year, although he and I both fully believe in our ability to