International manager confirms Sunderland player will captain country for first time

Sunderland defender Trai Hume will captain Northern Ireland for the first time on Thursday evening when they face Luxembourg in the UEFA Nations League.

The full-back has amassed 13 caps for his country since making his debut in 2022, and has established himself as a mainstay of Michael O’Neill’s defence in recent times. Now, with Manchester United veteran Jonny Evans having announced his retirement from international football last week, Hume is set to be handed a more senior role in his manager’s plans.

Speaking in a press conference, O’Neill confirmed the news of Hume’s captaincy. He said: “For the game tomorrow night, Trai will be the captain. He’s deserved it. He’s a player who has consistently played at a very high level since he came to England. There’s not many players come out of the Irish league and step into English football and play with that level of consistency.

“I see how he plays for his club and I see that he’s a leader in a young team at Sunderland. He may not be the captain, but he is a leader. Now he gets the chance to captain the team tomorrow night. I have no hesitation that he will do a good job.” Hume joined Sunderland from Linfield in January 2022, and has since established himself as the Black Cats’ undisputed first choice right-back. Over the course of his time at the Stadium of Light, he has racked up 88 appearances on Wearside, scoring three goals and assisting three more.

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Speaking to BBC Sport Northern Ireland recently, the 22-year-old addressed the possibility of him assuming a more prominent role at international level, stating: “I wouldn’t mind because growing up I captained younger age groups so maybe I have that in me. I want to help younger players that are coming through and lead them. It’s going to be different. When I first came in there was Steven Davis, Jonny [Evans], and Craig Cathcart, a lot of experience, so it is going to be a big change."

During that same interview, Hume also spoke out on his future with Sunderland, admitting that he is in no great rush to make the step up from Championship football to the Premier League. Referencing speculation surrounding a potential exit from the Stadium of Light during the summer transfer window, he said: "I try and not worry about it [rumours], I let my agent deal with that and I worry about my football. I’m really enjoying my football at Sunderland and I’ve said that since I’ve been there, so I was just focusing on that.

"That’s a dream [to play in the Premier League] whether that is with Sunderland, which I hope it is, or if someone comes in and buys me. Hopefully it will happen one day but I’m not in any rush."