View: 95.5% Trai Hume is the unsung hero at Sunderland under Regis Le Bris
Sunderland have had an excellent campaign so far under Regis Le Bris but Trai Hume has perhaps not received enough credit for his contributions.
Hume has been a regular for the Black Cats under the Frenchman and has rarely put a foot wrong despite receiving little credit for his influence in the team.
With Sunderland aiming for a Premier League return, a solid foundation at the back is crucial and Hume has played a key role in maintaining that.
Several other players have earned the spotlight but the Northern Ireland international certainly deserves more attention for what he’s done this season.
Trai Hume is crucial to Sunderland ambitions
While goals win games, preventing them at the other end can play just as much of a role and without Hume, Sunderland would have conceded far more than they have this season.
In fact, the Black Cats have one of the best defensive records in the Championship this season having conceded 17 goals. A tally bettered by only four sides in the league.
According to FotMob, Hume has recorded an incredible 1,418 touches in 20 appearances this season showcasing his importance on the ball.
Although his best traits are demonstrated defensively, he ahs contributed well in an offensive sense. Hume has recorded two assists from an xA (expected assists) of 3.73. A lack of finishing ability has caused his creative abilities to be somewhat overlooked.
His 41.2 per cent cross accuracy places him in the top 95.5 per cent of players for that attribute in the Championship which is an incredible return.
His passing ability isn’t mediocre either having completed 782 passes, with 27 chances created from right back.
Although he has contributed going forward, he certainly thrives at the back with a remarkable 89 defensive duels won alongside 24 tackles.
Simply put, Hume is pivotal to the way Sunderland like to play and his importance to the side is something that deserves more attention than it receives.
In other Sunderland news, Amad Diallo opened up about his loan spell on Wearside.
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