renewed and that he was allowed to talk to other clubs, and on 6 July 2007, Zenden signed a two-year contract with Marseille. He made his competitive debut for Marseille on 11 August 2007, starting and eventually being substituted in a 0–0 stalemate with Rennes. At Marseille, Zenden struggled for regular football. In the 2008–09 Ligue 1 season, he featured 13 times (predominately as a substitute) scoring three goals. After being released, Zenden revealed that he wanted to end his career in England, with Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth interested in the player. In October 2009, he went to Sunderland on trial. He signed after impressing Sunderland manager Steve Bruce. Sunderland In October 2009, Zenden signed a contract with Sunderland which tied him down until the end of the 2009–10 season. Zenden signed in time to make his debut against former club Liverpool and he did an excellent job helping Sunderland to retain their one-goal lead after coming on as a substitute for the injured Lee Cattermole. His Sunderland career often saw him play as a substitute without starting any matches and he had suffered an injury in between, but after recovery he was named in the squad to face his old club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 16 January 2010, and within less than ten minutes of coming on as a second-half substitute he scored his first goal for the club, a fine half-volley to reduce his team's deficit to 5–1, having been 4–0 down at half-time. The Black Cats eventually succumbed to a 7–2 defeat. On 3 April 2010, Zenden scored his second goal for Sunderland, a left-footed volley in a 3–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur at the Stadium of Light. On 17 May 2010, Zenden signed a new one-year contract at the club. Zenden's first start of the season came in Sunderland's 0–0 draw with Manchester United, where he hit the post. Zenden became a YouTube hit after celebrating a goal with Asamoah Gyan in Sunderland's 3–0 victory at Chelsea. Zenden notched his first of the season against Bolton in a 2–1 away win, on 7 May, which he dedicated to his ill father. Following the match, manager Steve Bruce confirmed Zenden would be offered a new contract at the club. Zenden, however, revealed he would quit the club at the end of the season to prolong his career. On 22 May 2011, his last game for Sunderland,