Dan Ballard on competition for places at Sunderland: 'So much talent in this squad'

Dan Ballard acknowledges the competition for places among the centre backs at Sunderland is fierce, but that is a challenge he relishes.

Ballard started the season in the Sunderland team before fracturing his foot in just his third match, putting him out for the next three and a half months.

He made his return at Hull on Saturday, coming on as an early substitute for Danny Batth, who appears to have suffered a calf injury.

That still leaves the likes of Luke O’Nien, Aji Alese, Bailey Wright and Dennis Cirkin as rivals for a centre-back spot, and he is determined to come out on top.

Asked about how he feels about the challenge of competing for a spot at centre-back against such a strong group of players, Ballard said: "That's why I'm here.

"I would have had to challenge for my spot anyway. This way (Batth’s injury) means there's a spot opened up and I need to go and grasp it.

"I'm sure Danny and Aji and Dennis will all be fighting for their spot. It's my time now to go and cement that spot again.

"I think the whole squad there is so much talent and every player is dealing with the same challenge.

"It is tough to get minutes in this team because it's such a talented squad, but I think it drives each other and is only going to help us grow as a team."

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