Sky Sports pundit David Prutton has named his Championship Team of the Season so far, and it features one Sunderland player.
Sunderland have arguably been this season’s surprise package in the Championship, following their blistering start to life under Regis Le Bris.
After a four-month period with no permanent manager in place at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland appointed the unknown, and relatively untested Le Bris.
Arriving from Lorient after overseeing their relegation from Ligue 1, expectations for Le Bris were very mooted among Sunderland fans.
But after 15 games of the season, the Black Cats sit in 1st place of the Championship table, having played some sublime football under their new boss.
There’s been several standout players so far. Chris Rigg and Jobe Bellingham are grabbing most of the headlines right now, but neither feature in David Prutton’s Championship Team of the Season so far.
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David Prutton names Trai Hume in Championship Team of the Season so far
Prutton didn’t pick either Rigg or Bellingham for his Championship Team of the Season so far. Instead he went for Black Cats right-back Trai Hume.
Sunderland star Hume was wanted by Aston Villa during the summer transfer window, with the likes of Napoli and Bournemouth also linked.
The Northern Ireland international topped the Championship for tackles last time round and has made another strong start to this new campaign.
Prutton said of the 22-year-old: “[Hume is] Part of a team that’s taken us all by surprise. I think you’ve got a player there that’s been very, very consistent, that’s really set himself to a high standard in the Championship.”
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Sunderland signed Hume from Linfield in January 2022 for just £200,000, and so he’s another Black Cats gem who looks set to net the club a huge profit one day.
That day could come sooner than many might think as well with transfer expert Graeme Bailey tipping Hume to leave Sunderland at the end of the season.
Speaking to Sunderland AFC News in October, Hume said: “If they don’t go up they’ll probably lose two or three. Chris Rigg definitely. [Dan] Ballard probably, and maybe Hume.”
For Hume then, the rest of this season could be like his application for a possible Premier League move next summer.
He’s certainly shown the potential of a top flight player in the last two seasons, and this season, Hume has taken his game to another level yet again, deserving of his spot in the Championship Team of the Season so far.