Alan Shearer full of praise for Sunderland star who helped defeat Brighton record
Alan Shearer has once again singled out one Sunderland star for his performance at the weekend.
Sunderland’s 0-0 draw away to Brighton means that the Black Cats will end the year inside the top 10 at the very least, ahead of their clash with Leeds United at the Stadium of Light.
The Black Cats have accumulated a remarkable 27 points in 19 games, which is more than any of the previous six promoted sides.
The likes of Granit Xhaka and Robin Roefs have earned their plaudits throughout that successful spell, but Shearer was impressed with the performance of another Sunderland star as they held the Seagulls to a draw at the Amex.
Dan Ballard singled out for Sunderland heroics
Dan Ballard was third-choice at Sunderland in the Championship, showcasing just how far he has come over the last six months.
Since breaking back into the side under Regis Le Bris, the Northern Ireland defender has been nothing short of immense, and it was again the case against Brighton.
Ballard won 12 duels against Brighton, which was the most of anyone on the pitch, with four tackles and six clearances to his name, according to FotMob.
He played a crucial role in the Black Cats ending Brighton’s record of scoring in every home game, thus earning praise from Shearer with an inclusion in his Premier League Team of the Week.
“Again, Sunderland’s rock in a defence that was the first to shut out Brighton at home this season,” the former Newcastle star said on his selection.
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How much is Ballard really worth now?
Ballard arrived at Sunderland in 2022 for a fee believed to be in the region of £2million, which even for a Championship club was seen as pennies.
Now one of the best performing centre-backs in the Premier League, Sunderland have a defender worth at least 15x that.
His ability to read the game and dominate in the air makes up for the lack of pace he has in certain scenarios, and without him, it begs the question of where Sunderland would be.
Florent Ghisolfi worked wonders to assemble the current squad alongside Kristjaan Speakman, but as said by the former Roma director himself, Sunderland would never have been able to find a player with the same qualities as Ballard, and certainly not at the price they signed him for.
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