Sunderland defender Trai Hume reflected on his switch to left-back and praised the team’s resilience against Wolves
Sunderland full-back Trai Hume says he’s relishing the challenge of adapting to new positions after helping the Black Cats to a 2–0 win over Wolves at the Stadium of Light.
With Reinildo suspended, Hume was shifted across to left-back – a role he also filled on several occasions last season – as Régis Le Bris opted to keep Nordi Mukiele at right-back, with Omar Alderete and Dan Ballard in central defence.
Hume is becoming increasingly familiar with multiple positions across the defensive line, having also featured at right centre-back for Northern Ireland recently. Despite the switch, the 23-year-old delivered another assured performance, even chipping in with an assist, as Sunderland extended their strong start to the campaign.
“Yeah, comfortable enough,” Hume told the local press after the game. “I’ll play where I’m asked to play. My main trade is a right-back but I’m comfortable enough playing both sides. Especially over the past two seasons, I’ve had to fill in that position in the Championship. It’s been tough, two intense games over the international break, but I’m a footballer and can’t really complain about playing football.”
Reflecting on the match against Wolves, Hume admitted Sunderland’s performance wasn’t perfect but praised the team’s resilience. “We started the first half well, we wanted to come in with more than one goal, and I think we deserved that, but in the second half, they took the game to us, and we were probably a bit sloppy on the ball. We’ve only come up; we’re not going to be dominating possession and controlling games, but we’ve got to be hard to beat. We were that today.”
Hume, who has seamlessly stepped up to Premier League level, said the team remain grounded despite their impressive early-season form. “The step up was going to be tough but I worked hard in the off-season. The boss has given me my chance to play in the Premier League and I’m working hard to repay that,” he said.
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“There’s always room to get better, especially a young team like ourselves. The step up has been difficult – players are better, teams are better, they’re better-coached, physically they’re better and mentally you have to stay switched-on for 90 minutes.”
Hume added that while every win matters, the team remain focused on consistency and momentum rather than lofty ambitions. “Every game’s big. Anywhere you take points, it’s massive. But it just feels like another win. You know when you play stronger sides like Chelsea, Liverpool, City, they’ll be tougher games.
“You go into it trying to take what you can. But today at home, especially, you try to win. You’re talking about momentum – you win a big game and you gather it. Like last season, when we started so well. Some of them are bigger because you gain momentum.”
Hume also praised the fans and the newly opened Keel Crossing Bridge, which he walked across ahead of the match alongside thousands of supporters. “I knew it was opening up,” he said. “It’s magnificent that they’ve got it done. The fans are fantastic.”
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