Sunderland star Trai Hume names Premier League club he supported growing up amid Newcastle United verdict
Sunderland defender Trai Hume has admitted that he is most looking forward to playing Newcastle United and Chelsea next season, ahead of the Premier League fixture list being revealed in the coming days.
The Northern Ireland international played a key role in the Black Cats’ promotion from the Championship this term, and alongside many of his teammates, will now take the step up to top flight football for the very first time.
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Hide AdAnd while Hume has expressed his excitement at the challenges of the upcoming campaign writ large, he has also pinpointed a couple of the key contests that he cannot wait for.
What has Trai Hume said about Sunderland’s return to the Premier League next season?
Looking ahead to the next season while away on international duty this week, Hume said: “I’m really excited by it all [playing in the Premier League]. I’m probably not looking forward to pre-season as much because it’s going to be that wee bit tougher but that’s part and parcel of it.
“I’ll have to work harder than I have before because I’m stepping up a level and playing in the best league in the world. It will be tough but I’m excited. It is a challenge I know me and my team-mates at Sunderland are looking forward to and hopefully we can get going.”
When asked which matches he was most looking forward to taking part in, he replied: “I’d be lying if I didn’t say the derby [against Newcastle]. For me, I was a Chelsea fan [growing up] so I’m looking forward to playing them twice, but obviously the main game is the derby.”
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What else has Trai Hume said about playing for Sunderland?
Hume is one of several Sunderland players who have been touted for a prospective exit from the Stadium of Light this summer, but the full-back has made it clear just how much he is enjoying is time in the North East.
Speaking recently, he said: "I've said it ever since I moved to Sunderland, I really love my football here. I love playing. I love the club, I'm happy where I'm at and if anything happens it's from the club. I love playing for Sunderland so I'm happy being there."
Hume also reflected on Sunderland’s triumphant play-off campaign, highlighting the togetherness of the team across three challenging games. He added: "We didn't dominate both games, we had to dig in and we had to stay strong as a team and stick together.
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Hide Ad"Personally, that's the way I like to win games. I like to do it together as a team and you have to work hard to earn that. We worked as hard as we could, and to get those two late goals there was relief, joy and all the emotions you can think of really."
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