'Real technician who loves a tackle' - Dan Ballard hails Sunderland teammate

Trai Hume bas been tipped for a 'wonderful future' but Sunderland and Northern Ireland teammate Dan Ballard.

Dan Ballard has hailed club and international teammate Trai Hume as ‘a fantastic player and real technician who loves a tackle.’

Ballard has been able to develop a real understanding with Hum with them forming the right half of the Sunderland’s defence for much of the last 12 months.

That means he has a better understanding than most about what Hume is able to bring to a side – and it’s a lot more than just brilliantly ferocious tackling.

"He's been brilliant for us,” Ballard told Belfast Live. “He came from nowhere last season; he wasn't playing too much, got his chance and he really took it.

"I've played next to him for a year-and-a-half now. He's a fantastic player, a real technician, someone who Northern Ireland are really lucky to have.

"I think he has a wonderful future. We know each other very, very well.

"I know what he likes to do, he likes to move into midfield a lot. You can trust someone a lot more when you have built up that relationship, I feel comfortable and we've got a good chemistry.

"Trai is playing in the Championship, he loves a tackle and I think Northern Ireland will enjoy that as much as Sunderland fans do.”

Ballard was suspended for Sunderland’s last Championship outing after accumulating five yellow cards.

Dan Ballard all but certain to return to Sunderland line-up after suspension / IMAGO

Despite Sunderland beating Birmingham 3-1 in that game, Ballard is all but certain to return to the starting line-up against Plymouth on November 25, but first he has to come through the international break with Northern Ireland injury-free.

He will again be a key figure for Michael O’Neill’s team in their EURO 24 qualifiers against Finland and Denmark, and he admits he is starting to feel like one of the older heads now in youthful national team.

I feel I have got good leadership skills on the pitch and hopefully that can rub off on some others.

"I've been fortunate to play with Craig Cathcart and Jonny Evans, and before that playing or training with Aaron Hughes and Gareth McAuley. I've had a lot of experience and I've learned a lot from them, it has been a great time for me.

"There were some big characters in the team when I first came in, Josh Magennis and Kyle Lafferty were the big ones in the squad and they helped me settle in. Obviously I had Jonny, Craig, Gareth and Aaron, and they've been brilliant.

"When I first came in I wasn't playing too much so I used the opportunities to learn from them, to talk to them, they've been brilliant."

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