Alex Neil is looking forward to working with new recruit Daniel Ballard.
The 22-year-old swapped the Emirates Stadium for Wearside last week, signing an initial three-year deal at the Stadium of Light ahead of the 2022-23 season.
After facing stern competition for the defender’s signature, Neil explained why Ballard ‘fits the bill’ in terms of the Club’s recruitment strategy and stated how the pull of Sunderland helped get the deal of the line.
Speaking to safc.com, the Head Coach ran the rule over the former Gunner and provided supporters with an inside track on what to expect from the defender.
“First and foremost, Daniel will add competition,” said Neil.
“Callum’s loan deal ended in May and Arby left the club, so we wanted to add in that area and Daniel fits into our structure of being a young, up and coming player who has Championship experience.”
He continued: “He fits the bill and he also knows what it takes to win, sampling success with Blackpool in the Play-Offs before having a year under his belt [in the second tier] with Millwall last season.
“The new regulations make it extremely difficult to bring in players from the continent, so any young British talent is at a premium and naturally, club scouting networks are all aware of the same types of players.
“It then comes down to what your project looks like and what the club itself can provide – the fan base, our stadium, all of that is a massive selling point for us and it helps when we’re trying to attract players.
“He will bring some different qualities to our backline - he is mobile for a big lad and he is aggressive, so I’m really looking forward to working with him.
“We are really pleased to get this deal over the line.”