'Terrific' Sunderland star backed for Champions League success - "He's a giant"
One Sunderland star has been backed to make a big move to a Champions League club in the near future.
Dan Ballard is a ‘terrific’ defender who is ‘absolutely’ equipped to become a Champions League star.
That is according to former Celtic and Scotland manager Gordon Strachan, who has been blown away by what he’s seen from the Sunderland centre-back this season.
Ballard joined the Black Cats in the summer of 2022 and has since become a key player, playing a major role in them earning promotion back to the Premier League last season - including scoring a last-minute extra-time goal against Coventry City to fire Sunderland into the Championship playoff final, where they beat Sheffield United.
The Northern Ireland international has adapted brilliantly to life in the top flight, too, starting 18 of Sunderland’s 26 Premier League games so far and scoring twice, while sitting first among his teammates for clearances (143) and aerial duels won (87), and third for passes completed (724).
Dan Ballard heading for the Champions League?
Still only 26 years old, Ballard is about to enter his prime and has very much proven he can cut it against the very best the Premier League has to offer - helping Sunderland pick up impressive results against the likes of Newcastle United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal this season.
Strachan - who represented the likes of Manchester United and Leeds during his playing days and is now technical director at Dundee - believes Ballard has all the tools to take his game to an even higher level.
“I think Dan Ballard is terrific. I think early in his career, he made a couple of mistakes at crucial times but those moments are gone now,” the 50-time Scotland international midfielder told BetVictor Casino.
“He'll still make mistakes in general, but he doesn't look like a player who will make a mistake now. Three years ago, he looked like a player who would make a mistake. You don't have this feeling about him anymore.
“He now believes in himself. He's become a better footballer. He's a giant of a man, imposing in both boxes and we know how important that is these days.
“I think the game has never really changed. People haven't noticed that, but it's never changed. You need a certain amount of people to head the ball out of the box, some to head the ball, and the other goes.
“It hasn't changed, it's just people are realising it now. And he's got that, but he can play as well. I think he could move to a top team now.
“I know the Sunderland fans wouldn't want him to, but as a young man, you want to play at the highest level. And that means Champions League level. Do I think he could play at the Champions League level? Absolutely, I do.”