The EFL’s nominee list for their end of season awards was announced this week

It has, by most metrics, been a fairly astonishing season for Sunderland thus far. After limping their way to a lower mid-table finish last term, the Black Cats have been transformed under Regis Le Bris and, with four games left to play, are already guaranteed a spot in next month’s Championship play-offs.

Regardless of how things pan out over the coming weeks - whether Sunderland finally seal a long-awaited return to the Premier League or whether they fall agonisingly short for the second time in three attempts - there will be plenty of positives to glean from Le Bris’ debut campaign in the English game, and nowhere is that more evident than in the nomination list for this year’s end of season EFL awards.

As confirmed by the governing body, no fewer than three Sunderland figures have been recognised for their efforts in recent months, with Le Bris up for Manager of the Year, and teenage duo Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg up for Young Player and Apprentice of the Year respectively.

Sunderland defender Trai Hume overlooked

But one man who can perhaps feel a touch aggrieved to have been overlooked is Trai Hume. When the EFL revealed their list of nominees on Wednesday morning, the names included in the Player of the Year category were Gustavo Hamer, James Trafford, and Dan James - one each from Sheffield United, Burnley, and Leeds United.

The Northern Ireland international was, however, nowhere to be seen, and to that end, there is perhaps a slight air of injustice about the EFL’s decision. It is no grand secret that Hume is consistently one of Sunderland’s most committed, effective, and reliable performers, but if ever there was a season in which his game has confidently hauled itself to a new level, it has been this one.

At the time of writing, the 23-year-old has contributed three goals and six assists from full-back, has featured in all but one of Sunderland’s league fixtures to date, and boasts the highest average match rating of any player in the division, according to stats database Whoscored.

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And then there are the things that are much harder to quantify; the conviction with which he has launched himself into every one of his 71 successful tackles this term; the countless decoy runs he has made to overlap Patrick Roberts, drawing focus away from his winger and allowing him to cut inside onto his favoured left boot; the fact that for a good while he has played with a bothersome hip complaint, and were it not for the confirmation of his head coach, we would have been none the wiser.

Of course, that is not to say the Hamer, Trafford, or James are not deserving of acclaim. All three have played pivotal roles for clubs who look set to finish above Sunderland in the table, and at least two of them will be plying their trade in the Premier League next term.

But anybody who has watched Hume on a weekly basis over the past few months will be fully aware of exactly the calibre of player that he has blossomed into of late. Not only is he frequently one of the best in a red and white shirt on Wearside, but he is also one of the finest in the division writ large.

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