Tony Mowbray says Northern Ireland's regular right-back must be 'some player' to keep Trai Hume out of the side. Sunderland boss Mowbray has been hugely impressed with 21-year-old Hume since he broke into the team at the turn of the year and has gone on to become one of the Black Cats' most consistent performers.
Hume made his senior international debut in March last year against Hungary in a friendly and, while he was in the most recent squad last month, he did not feature in either of their Euro 2024 qualifiers against San Marino and Finland. Instead, new Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill - who was taking charge of his first games in his second stint in charge of the national team - stuck with 19-year-old Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley, who is currently on loan at League One play-off contenders Bolton Wanderers.
Hume turned in another impressive display in Sunderland's draw against Championship leaders Burnley at Turf Moor, with Mowbray saying: "Trai Hume is just a wonderful footballer, really. I haven't seen the right-back for Northern Ireland, I don't know who he is - I think he is on loan from one of the big Premier League clubs - but he must be some player to keep Trai Hume out of the team!"
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Mowbray was delighted with his side's clean sheet against the Clarets, with Sunderland becoming only the third team to prevent Burnley scoring in the league this season, and the first to do so at Turf Moor in almost a year. The fact that Sunderland did so despite being hit with a series of defensive injuries, with Dan Ballard the latest to join the casualty list after picking up a hamstring problem while away with Northern Ireland, made it all the sweeter.
It left Sunderland with a makeshift back line consisting of Hume at right-back, the versatile Luke O'Nien playing centre-back alongside the experienced Danny Batth, and Lynden Gooch having to fill in at left-back - with the latter producing a man-of-the-match display even though he was operating in an unfamiliar position. Mowbray said: "I think they are brilliant listeners, good at taking on information, they are a brilliant group of players to work with. They listen, nod their heads, they can see what you are trying to say and they want to make it happen.
"They are just really, really, talented young footballers who want to be better footballers. You have to mention Danny Batth - he is a man amongst boys and he has done amazingly well for this club and been the rock in the middle of that defence.
"O'Nien is not a boy but he has amazing enthusiasm and mobility, two brilliant feet. I've talked about the full-backs and Goochy was fantastic, stopping crosses and putting his body on the line.
"They were excellent."
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