Freddie Ljungberg in awe of Sunderland player who’s proved people wrong
Arsenal and Premier League legend Freddie Ljungberg has been raving over a Sunderland fan favourite.
Sunderland welcome Leeds United to the Stadium of Light on Sunday, with Regis Le Bris’ side looking to keep pace in the race for European football.
Many were inevitably tipping Sunderland for Premier League relegation this season, but as the halfway point of the campaign emerges, the Black Cats are defying all expectations.
This has seen talk of Le Bris being poached away from Sunderland increase in recent weeks, as the Frenchman is masterminding a memorable season on Wearside.
Freddie Ljungberg waxes lyrical over Sunderland’s Dan Ballard
As much of a superb coaching job Le Bris is performing, his players have also been nothing short of sensational.
One of his best, and indeed a big reason as to why Sunderland are in the Premier League this season, has undoubtedly been Ballard.
Now 26, Ballard has been immense in the heart of Sunderland’s defence, and has made a seamless transition to top flight football.
He started his career with Arsenal, which saw him being coached by Gunners icon Ljungberg, who spent numerous years in charge of various Arsenal academy sides.
Speaking to Viaplay, Ljungberg said of Ballard: “He is a special man. You know, you have a soft spot for players sometimes.
“Before I came in there [at Arsenal] – I had him with the Under-21s – some of them maybe didn’t rate him so highly. I was on the pitch for a bit and I was like, ‘I rate him’. He knows how to defend.
“When you spoke to him, he was like. ‘What can I do better? Can you help me with, like, sometimes I don’t really know when I come up in a pocket, what I should do here or there? Could you just help me?’.
“Every day, he would ask me a question, wanting to get better. He’s had injuries, he’s had massive injuries, setbacks, kept on fighting, had to leave Arsenal, go to smaller clubs, prove himself there.
“They said here, I think, he’s a legend here already. I want him in our dressing room every day of the week because he will do anything for you.”
Ballard has been one of Sunderland’s biggest bargains in recent years
Signed for around £2m from Arsenal back in the summer of 2022, Ballard has been one of Sunderland’s biggest value for money transfers in recent times – and has clearly proved those at Arsenal who doubted him very wrong.
The big centre-back rarely puts a foot wrong in a red and white shirt, and ensured he’d never have to buy a drink in Sunderland for the rest of his life with his play-off semi-final header against Coventry City last season.
Whilst he has struggled with injury problems, he’s proven himself to be a top defender at Championship level, and is well on his way to proving he’s exactly that at Premier League level too this season.
- Ballard is averaging a 7.11/10 rating per game in the PL this season
- He’s won 95 ground duels and 60 in the air, which rank him in the top 6.4 percentile of PL central defenders this term – per FotMob
- Ballard has made 104 appearances and scored eight goals in all competitions for Sunderland
So, if he can stay fit for the rest of the season, then he looks set to play a huge part in what looks primed to be an unforgettable campaign on Wearside.
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