Romaine Mundle is back in a Sunderland shirt, joining Leo Hjelde and Dennis Cirkin with the U21s
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard opens up on Arsenal frustration, iconic celebration and the loans that shaped him
Dan Ballard says he “feels powerful” for the first time in his career after Sunderland’s Premier League return – and insists he was “always going to celebrate” scoring against former club Arsenal because he never felt a true first-team connection there.
In an interview with GiveMeSport, the centre-half also opened up on his physical transformation, last season’s play-off heroics and the mindset that continues to drive him at the highest level. Ballard’s rise on Wearside has turned him into a folk hero, a defender whose toughness and humility echo Sunderland’s revival. His pathway has never been smooth, and he admits the foundations of his game were laid through hardship and self-doubt.
“I was never, as a young man, the most talented player and had to work quite hard to fight for my opportunities,” he says. “And even playing now, I sort of carry that around with me. I have to work hard to fight for everything. But after all the tough bits, I think fans appreciate that, especially in the Premier League.
“It’s perhaps a British style of play - tough and doing the simple things really well. And always fighting for the club you’re playing at. You might stop progressing. So it's just about going into every game, and feeling that nervousness and trying to keep proving to everyone that you know you're good enough, you're at the level, and you can help teams.”
Dan Ballard’s Arsenal past
Ballard’s relationship with Arsenal is warm but complicated. He joined the club at eight, was released twice, then earned scholarship terms after impressing in a friendly against Bayern Munich. Yet a true pathway never emerged.
“I love Arsenal for everything they've done for me, but I suppose I never really had that real connection with the first team. It was more sort of the academy and, you know, all the staff and the amazing people that helped me. I never got that real chance in the first team. So I was never not going to celebrate in a stadium like that in such a big game. I was always going to celebrate. I'll just always give 100% and I think fans appreciate that.”
Hitting the gym
Ballard’s emergence as one of Sunderland’s most complete defenders has been shaped by the struggles of the previous campaign. The 2023–24 season was disrupted by injuries, forcing him to recalibrate physically and mentally.
“Last year was a real stop-start season for me,” he says. “I felt really good the season before, and I was looking to kick on last year, but I was a bit hampered. My season was very stop-and-start. I kind of saved the season by getting back fit for the play-offs just in time, and then I did a lot of work this summer.
“I've been in the gym a lot, put a little bit more size on this year, because of the physicality of the Premier League. It helps to feel powerful, feel strong. I put maybe half a kilo on, maybe even more in the end. I seem to be playing well with it. So it's got to try and maintain that, keep going.”
The loan years that shaped him
From a short, injury-ruined spell at Swindon to more successful periods at Blackpool and Millwall, Ballard credits those environments with giving him the resilience and edge required for Premier League football. “All my learning experiences helped me, helped me grow as a player.
The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click this link to join ourSAFC WhatsApp channel.
“I had a great year at Blackpool. We got promoted there, and then going to Millwall was special in its own way. And that was the first year playing in front of fans after COVID, and thankfully, I've done really well. I managed to sort of get the support of the fans quite early on, and feel like we had a great, great connection while I was there. I really felt the support from them. They helped me in that first year in the Championship.”
Promotion, momentum and belief
Ballard’s extra-time goal against Coventry City in the 2024–25 play-off semi-final helped propel Sunderland back to Wembley, where victory over Sheffield United confirmed their Premier League return after eight long years. His influence has only grown since then. “We've had a fantastic start as a team,” he says. “Going up through the play-offs, there's no better feeling, and it really brings a squad together. We've added a lot of new players this summer, and things are going really well.
“There's always that bit of doubt about you being involved, but I’ve managed to get quite a bit of game time in the Premier League this year, so we're extremely confident. There's a lot of lads who deserve the opportunity to play in the Premier League, but haven't quite got that chance yet. So there's a really exciting group.”
Continue Reading