Dan Ballard reacted to Florent Ghisolfi’s praise and set out Sunderland’s clear priorities under Régis Le Bris

Dan Ballard has responded to glowing praise from Sunderland sporting director Florent Ghisolfi, while also setting out the club’s clear priorities under head coach Régis Le Bris as the Black Cats continue their impressive Premier League campaign.

Ghisolfi recently singled out Ballard as a symbol of Sunderland’s identity, insisting the club could search worldwide and still not replace the centre-back. “I can go to the market for all of them, but I cannot find a Ballard,” he said. “He is Sunderland - hard work, resilience, talent. I can look in Argentina and other markets, but I cannot find a Ballard.”

Ballard, who played a central role in Sunderland’s promotion-winning campaign and famously scored the dramatic last-gasp winner against Coventry City in the Championship play-off semi-final, admitted the comments meant a great deal. “It’s really nice. Once you play a lot of games for this club, you learn to love the people and the stories. It’s a special club. We’ve had tough years, so to be doing well now means a lot,” Ballard said.

Despite Le Bris assembling an almost entirely new squad for Sunderland’s return to the top flight, the 26-year-old has remained a constant presence. Ballard has featured in 15 of the opening 17 Premier League games, scoring twice and registering one assist, underlining his importance at the heart of the defence.

Ballard was also quick to credit Le Bris for the transformation on the pitch, highlighting the impact the Frenchman has had on his own development. “He’s been amazing. He knows exactly what he wants and tells you straight. I’ve learned more in the last year than any other period of my career. He’s made us really competitive,” Ballard said.

While Sunderland currently find themselves pushing towards the European places, Ballard was keen to play down any talk beyond survival, insisting the focus remains firmly on securing Premier League status. “We need to stay in the league. Our goal is 40 points. We know how quickly things can change, so we just stay competitive,” he said.

Asked whether Europe had crossed his mind at all, the defender was unequivocal. “No. It’s about the next game. The league is so tight. We’ll just try to win as many games as possible and see where it takes us.”

What did Régis Le Bris say after the game against Brighton?

Le Bris felt Sunderland’s point away at Brighton was a deserved one after his side stood firm during a sustained spell of late pressure from the hosts. Sunderland enjoyed long periods of control despite travelling south without several players due to Africa Cup of Nations call-ups.

Brighton, however, were also missing key figures through injury, suspension and illness, and it was the home side who finished the stronger as the game wore on. While Sunderland were unable to capitalise on their chances earlier in the contest, Le Bris took encouragement from the way his players defended their penalty area to preserve a clean sheet.

“A draw was probably a fair result,” Le Bris said. “The atmosphere in the dressing room was a bit disappointed [that we didn't win], which was a good sign for the future. We had two parts to the game. Until 65 or 70 minutes, we were dominant, especially for a team playing away from home.

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“We showed good qualities, great character. We were controlling the ball, and we had opportunities to score during this period. But when you don’t score away when you have those opportunities, you can expect that the opponent will push until the end.

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“They did well during the last 20 or 25 minutes. We stayed consistent with our deep block and kept this clean sheet. They crossed a lot, as expected, so we were prepared for that. We have players who are really determined to defend the box and the goal, and they did that. They defended well.”

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