Sunderland defender Dan Ballard is enjoying a stellar campaign, writes Finlay Anderson.
Dan Ballard has shown he is Premier League class with his superb transition to top-flight football.
But had he chosen England rather than Northern Ireland at international level, would he now be World Cup-bound under Thomas Tuchel? Sunderland have outperformed all the pre-season predictions, currently sitting in the top eight and dreaming of Europe – and Ballard has been a rock at the heart of the Black Cats’ defence.
Born in England, the defender was eligible to represent the Three Lions, but opted for Northern Ireland, qualifying through his mother and competing for them from Under-17 level onwards. Ballard has a shot at playing on the World’s biggest stage next summer with his chosen country, with Northern Ireland preparing to play Italy in a qualifying play-off next month.
But do the stats of Ballard’s season show the 26-year-old would be a real contender for Tuchel’s England squad, had he chosen to play for the nation of his birth? We’ve crunched his numbers against those of Tuchel’s four current first-choice centre-backs: Marc Guehi, Esri Konsa, Dan Burn and Trevor Chalobah.
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Dan Ballard’s physical presence proves key
Nicknamed “Big Dan Ballard” beyond just Wearside, the defender has embraced the physicality of the Premier League – and the stats back it up.
According to FotMob, the 26-year-old has won more duels than any of Tuchel’s four other centre-back options, with over 10 more than Guehi and nearly 30 ahead of Chalobah. He also leads the number of aerial duels, having won 19 more than second-placed Guehi. Those metrics place Ballard in the top four of all Premier League players for aerial duels won, with only Virgil van Dijk, James Tarkowski and Thierno Barry ahead of the Northern Ireland international.
Close behind Aston Villa’s Konsa for fouls won, Ballard has been instrumental in keeping Ollie Watkins, Joao Pedro, Alexander Isak and Nick Woltemade quiet so far this season, with Régis Le Bris’ Sunderland side boasting the joint-third best defence in the division.
A big threat at the other end
Ballard’s Championship play-off semi-final second-leg winner will be forever etched into Wearside folklore, but the defender has carried his attacking prowess into the Premier League. A bullet header on the opening day against West Ham and a stunner against Arsenal are the two Premier League goals to his name; yet the stats show he offers a lot more in attack than simply goals.
The 26-year-old has the most shots – and headed shots - out of him and Tuchel’s four likeliest centre-back options, while also creating the second-most chances and big chances. Brian Brobbey’s hold-up play has earned plaudits in the last few weeks, and he has been the beneficiary of Ballard’s pinpoint long passing as Le Bris encourages his side to go direct with Brobbey leading the line.
In the Black Cats’ last four league fixtures, Ballard has attempted 24 accurate long balls, completing 13 – accounting for nearly a third of his accurate long balls this season.
Brick wall Ballard
The 26-year-old made a heroic 97th-minute block to deny Mikel Merino from clinching all three points in November’s clash with Arsenal – and when you look at the stats behind Ballard’s immense six months of Premier League football, it’s clear to see this was no fluke. The defender has blocked 14 shots this season – a stat only bettered in the table by Konsa.
He has been dribbled past just four times in the Premier League, in comparison to Guehi’s seven and Burn’s 13. Ballard has made 127 clearances this season - averaging 7.66 per 90 minutes, again outperforming all of Tuchel’s centre-back options.
Ahead of a trip to league leaders Arsenal and a home clash with Liverpool, the 26-year-old is set to relish more tests against two of the summer’s most talked-about signings in Viktor Gyökeres and Hugo Ekitike. Should he come through those challenges, Ballard may look even more like the defender that, for England, got away.
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