The story of Denver Hume's promising Sunderland rise and why he's starting to thrive

Firstly, they felt the side had implemented the messages they had been given, and the way they played was consistent with the emphatic win over Tranmere Rovers days previous.

On top of that, the physical output of the players was again very good and that offered hope, too.

No player embodied that better than Denver Hume, whose physical data had made a major impression.

Even if there were kinks in his game, the odd defensive lapse, the odd poor final ball, the endeavour, appettite and conditioning he showed in flying up and down the wing was a positive.

Against Southend United he took it to the next level.

That drive was there but so was the final ball.

In the early stages, he carried the ball from his own half right to the edge of the opposition box, gliding past players and let down only by the resulting cross from Conor McLaughlin.

He quickly got the assist he deserved, a superb first-time cross from deep headed home by Luke O’Nien.

“We spoke about it before the game – Aiden pushing their wing-back back as far as he could to give me space to drive into,” Hume said.

“We wanted to link up from there, and I think that worked really well, especially in the first half. We did create a lot of chances, which was good.

“It was probably one of my best performances. I thought I did well, but there’s still things I can improve on. That comes with every game, and each game, I think I’m getting better. That comes with confidence, and obviously winning helps that.”

That assist underlined why Hume has been one of the biggest positives since Phil Parkinson arrived.

It had been a problem position for Sunderland earlier in the season but Hume is improving with every game. With the manager insisting that he wants early crosses from his wide players, Hume is the perfect fit.

Though he knows he can still improve defensively, he feels that instinct to drive from deep can be a weapon for his side.

“Obviously I do like getting forward,” he said.

“I’ve played left midfield a bit when I was younger, so I do enjoy that and it comes naturally to me. I think if I keep doing that, I’ll keep doing well, but I also know I have to keep improving on my defensive game because if I am playing left-back, that has to be my first job.

“I think the reason I like playing at left-back is because I can run from deep, and I think that’s what comes naturally to me. I’ve obviously played left-back for a good few years now. I think my all-round game is getting better. That’s what comes naturally to me, and that’s what I’ll keep trying to do.”

Laurens De Bock’s imminent return from injury means there will be competition for Hume but at this point, he looks well ahead in the pecking order.

It’s a boost for Sunderland who had such high hopes for the youngster after he signed a new contract last season.

Jack Ross had identified him as a poitential first-choice ahead of both Reece James and Bryan Oviedo, only for injury to take its toll.

It wasn’t just about the obvious talent and physical attrivutes he possessed, particularly in a side lacking pace. It was about his attitude, willingness to learn and quickly absorb information. It more than offset any deficiencies in his defensive game.

With both James and Oviedo having moved in the summer, the pressure on Hume was very different this campaign.

No longer the promising academy graduate, now the established player expected to perform week in, week out.

It has taken him a while to begin finding that crucial consistency but he is enjoying life under Parkinson and the results are clear.

“I think he’s done really well since he’s come in,” Hume said.

“I think he’s implemented his kind of style on how we want to play, and I think you’ve seen that in the games so far. He’s trying to make us better defensively, but he’s also giving us that freedom to play on the front foot and try to score goals.

“In the past few games, you’ve seen how many chances we have created so now it’s just up to us to keep that up and start putting them away.”

“Defensively, he’s spent a lot of time working on our shape on the training ground.

“He’s making sure that everyone knows their job and everyone is in the right position, which is important. I think when you do that in training, it becomes easier to put it out on the pitch. That’s when it becomes almost second nature and it does come together.

“At the other end he definitely wants the full-backs to get forward, I think you’ve seen that.

“Obviously our wingers are good on the ball, and they like to come inside and look to shoot. As full-backs, we have to be aware of that and try to work with it and exploit it.

“When we play as we can, the full-backs do get a lot of space and we’ve got two good midfielders who box things off in the middle when we do get forward. That makes sure we’re still strong at the back.”

It has already been a whirlwind campaign for Sunderland and their young left-back.

It hasn’t been plain sailing, but Hume will hope this is the start of the next phase in his promising career.

“There have been a lot of ups and downs already this season,” he said.

“A lot has happened, and there have already been some big highs and lows. I think that’s what happens in this league though, I don’t think it’s ever plain sailing.

“Every game is tough, every team is different, and you have lots of different challenges thrown at you. We know we’re going to get that, I guess as I get older and get more experience, I learn how to handle that and take it in my stride.”