Sunderland boss Michael Beale has an unlikely plan for full-back Trai Hume.
In a Sunderland team brimming with talent, and talent that’s being valued at more than £20million in Jack Clarke‘s case, Hume has managed to establish himself as an unlikely hero.
The now Northern Ireland international joined from Linfield FC in January 2022 for a reported fee of just £200,000.
Since, the 21-year-old has featured 64 times in league competitions for the Black Cats, having now played in all 31 of his side’s Championship fixtures this season.
Like a typically solid full-back, Hume is rarely spoken about, or at least not as much as names like Clarke and Dan Neil and so on.
But Hume is always one of the first names on the teamsheet, and now Beale is hoping to get even more out of the youngster.
Michael Beale wants Trai Hume getting more assists
So far this season, Hume has just one assist to his name.
But speaking ahead of tonight’s Championship clash vs Huddersfield Town, Beale revealed that he hopes to get Hume creating more goals by tasking Clarke and the other wide players to attack the back post when crosses come in from the other side.
Beale is quoted as saying on Hume:
“He deserves more and that’s something we’re working on with Jack [Clarke] and Paddy [Patrick Roberts] and Abdoullah Ba; when our full-backs are crossing the ball can they maybe attack the far post? A lot of their goals come from dribbling but I think Trai should have maybe five or six more assists with our wide players arriving in the box. So you’re nudging these little things in.”
Hume going from strength to strength at Sunderland
Hume has become such a fan favourite at Sunderland.
Not only is he a consistently good performer, but he’s also someone who’s shown his versatility across the course of the season.
Hume has proved himself to be a very comfortably and capable centre-back, as well as being a full-back who can bomb forward and create chances.
He’s the full package and at 21 years old, there’s plenty of potential left to fulfil, and Hume is also at the right age for Beale to start adding more bits to his game.
Hume has shown good crossing ability and with a bit more practise and a bit more forward-thinking from the wingers when Hume is putting the ball into the box, he could become a key creative outlet in this Sunderland side.
And that may come just in time for next season when names like Clarke might have moved on, so Beale will need to find new ways of getting Sunderland scoring and creating chances.
Tonight’s game vs Huddersfield Town kicks off at 7:45pm.