Tony Mowbray singles out 'very talented and strong' Sunderland youngster for praise

Sunderland were defeated against Swansea, but a young player impressed again.

Tony Mowbray singled out youngster Trai Hume for special praise after he impressed again in the defeat to Swansea.

Hume, 20, joined Sunderland a year ago from Linfield, but he has had to be patient and wait for a chance in the team.

That opportunity came with an injury to Lynden Gooch over the festive period, and he has barely put a foot wrong since.

“It’s opportunity,” Mowbray said. “Trai was often in my office when he wasn’t playing, wanting a chance.

"I would tell him, as I did, that he had to be patient and wait for an opportunity.

"I thought the team was functioning pretty well without him. We were playing Gooch and [Dennis] Cirkin, or Aji [Alese] was fit, but injuries have given him an opportunity and he’s grabbed it with both hands.

“He looks very talented and very strong. His passing is good and he looks like a really good full-back."

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Hume started at right-back with Gooch returning to the side on the opposite side of the defence, although he moved to left-sided centre-back in a back three after Luke O’Nien’s red card.

He also played a lot in central midfield for Linfield, so Sunderland seem to have found a very versatile player was well as a talented one. 

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