Tony Mowbray praised the “brilliant recruitment” that brought the international center-half to Sunderland last summer and said his defensive “diamond” Dan Ballard is becoming better and better.
Ballard made three outstanding goal-saving blocks in Wearside’s 3-1 victory at Blackburn on Wednesday, continuing his outstanding start to his second campaign on Wearside.
The Northern Ireland international, according to Mowbray, is a “warrior” when necessary but also at ease with the ball and possesses all the necessary skills for a long and prosperous career in the game.
The defender was acquired by Sunderland from Arsenal last summer. West Ham was reportedly connected to Premier League interest following his outstanding debut season at the Stadium of Light, but the Black Cats promptly put an end to any doubt by offering the 23-year-old a new long-term contract in August.
“He’s an outstanding defender, he’s a brilliant footballer,” Mowbray remarked of Ballard following his Man of the Match performance against Blackburn.
“I believe that Dan Ballard was a wonderful hire for this football club, but I also believe that we are fortunate to have him.
He’s a boy made of diamonds. He’s a fantastic football player and an old-school center-half who puts his life on the line, but I’m not sure what his ceiling is.
And if he plays against a player who is exceptionally strong, he only becomes more powerful. He answers the situation in front of him. He had to perform well (at Blackburn) in order to beat a strong team. He is a fighter—really remarkable.
However, Mowbray does have a worry.
With all due respect to the young center-halves we have behind him, “I do sit and worry sometimes that if Ballard gets injured, they’re not Dan Ballard,” he added.
“However, in my opinion, Ballard’s contributions and Luke O’Nien’s voice and organizational abilities are equal in importance. He is a tremendously good football player as well as having extremely amazing calmness to pick the initial pass during the transition.
