Régis Le Bris hails 'warrior' Sunderland player who dropped 8/10 performance despite injury vs Millwall

Sunderland head coach Régis Le Bris hailed the influence of Trai Hume and Alan Browne during the game against Millwall.

Browne was given the nod at right-back and Trai Hume shifted over to left-back for the game against the Lions in the absence of Dennis Cirkin and Leo Hjelde, who were both injured for the game against Alex Neil’s side in the Championship at the Stadium of Light,

The win marked Sunderland’s first victory in three games after a loss to Coventry and a draw against Preston North End with Hume netting the only goal of the game despite struggling with a hip injury which the Northern Irelan international has been playing and training through. Hume was The Echo’s Player of the Match against Millwall and earned an 8/10 score in our player ratings.

After the game against Millwall, Le Bris hailed the influence of Browne, who filled in a right-back with Hume moving to the opposite flank to cover the injuries to Cirkin and Hjelde, and Hume, who the Sunderland head coach described as a “warrior” following the win.

“I'm really pleased. For fans and journalists, the question was massive before the game, who will play right and left-back,” Le Bris added. “We found a solution with Browney and Trai off the left. Browney is versatile, experienced and well-connected with the team. He always wants to give his best. He played well today against a specific winger.”

On Hume, who netted the winning goal with a superb volleyed strike from a well-worked corner, Le Bris added: “It was a great goal and he was consistent again. He always plays at a very impressive level. He can pick up different positions, he is very important to us and if he scores, it's even better.”

The Northern Ireland international is also carrying a slight hip issue and was sent home early from international duty last week. Discussing the injury issue, Le Bris said: “He didn't train a lot this week, only part of the session yesterday. He's a warrior.

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“He's a very strong character. He always wants to play. These kinds of players are very important because they are always consistent and good from a football perspective. But his mindset is very strong and he shows the importance of consistency. Even with the pain and a small injury, he can play and he's well-connected with the team.”