Ian Baraclough believes Trai Hume was the 'best player on the pitch' on his Sunderland debut after giving him his first senior call up for Northern Ireland. Hume was handed his maiden appearance for the Black Cats in a 2-1 defeat to Cheltenham Town last month following his January move from Linfield.
That is just one of his two appearances for Sunderland so far, with the 19-year-old having to resort predominantly to a place on the bench. Despite that, Northern Ireland boss Baraclough has seen enough from Hume to name him in the squad for friendly matches against Luxembourg and Hungary after appearing at under-17s, under-19s and under-21s level for his country.
The 19-year-old has already made over 60 senior appearances during his brief career, with his spells at Ballymena United and Linfield FC enabling him to become one of the most highly rated youngsters in Northern Ireland. Speaking after naming his squad, Baraclough revealed just how impressed he has been with Hume both during his time at Linfield, and now at Sunderland.
