Wise Men Say: Denver Hume is a man on a mission after turning round his Sunderland fortunes

Clearly a talented lad, though I don’t think I’d be the first person to point out he’s a little frustrating defensively. With every assist, there are ten misplaced crosses, with every bombing run, there is a defensive mix up.

Though, things seem to be starting to change.

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Over the past six weeks he’s been the bright spark and alongside academy counterpart Lynden Gooch, they’ve been a thorn in the side of each team we’ve come up against.

Obviously credit can be given to the change in tactics and how much Hume has benefited from playing in a wing-back role, which admittedly Jack Ross couldn’t quite seem to master and Parkinson now seems to have turned our fortunes around but it would be harsh not to sing the praise of the man himself.

Rewind to the first few games of the season and Hume was being hooked at half time.

Out of position and looking lost. For a young lad, this could’ve been the writing on the wall.

He could have – like many before him – sulked and let it affect him. That doesn’t seem to have happened. The polar opposite has happened.

He’s kept working for it and finally on Saturday he got his reward.

A fantastic finish, one that wouldn’t go amiss in the Premier League.

That technique in those conditions, pfft. It’s what dreams are made of!

I hope this is just the start.

His ability to run with the ball and get at people has been a real bonus for Sunderland and Phil Parkinson’s tactics lately and if he keeps it up I feel we could have a real talent on our hands, again.

Sunderland are finally starting to find their feet, and I’m not sure if by coincidence that Denver Hume is too.

He is just a man, though at the moment, he’s on a mission.