Dan Ballard has signed a contract extension at Sunderland to extend the 26-year-old’s stay at the Wearside club until 2029.
The 12-month extension is recognition of Ballard’s form over the past year and his development in the Premier League. Ballard has been central to the over-performance of Regis Le Bris’s team this season and was excellent again in the 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Saturday.
Ballard began his career at Arsenal and had loan spells at Swindon, Blackpool and Millwall. He did not make it to Arsenal’s first team and, instead, became part of Sunderland’s young and economically sharp recruitment policy in 2022. Sunderland had just reached the Championship after four seasons in League One.
Last May, Ballard scored the header against Coventry City in the play-offs that took Sunderland to Wembley and promotion. It is an iconic moment in the club’s modern history.
He also scored in Sunderland’s opening game against West Ham on the return to top-flight football — and against Arsenal at the Stadium of Light. On Sunday night Ballard will collect the North-East Football Writers’ award for player of the season.
Centre-half epitomises Sunderland’s rise
This is a reward for a player who is in his prime, at 26, and one who is getting better. It is likely to address the issue of salary — players already at promoted clubs tend to be on less money than those coming in.
Sunderland fans will welcome the news. Ballard has become a favourite due to his quality and the goals mentioned above, but also because he is a link to the side they so enjoyed watching on the way to promotion. As others such as captain Dan Neil have experienced the hard reality of the club’s approach to the Premier League, Ballard and Trai Hume have remained and prospered.
Dan Ballard (left) competes for possession with Bournemouth’s Adrien Truffert at the Vitality Stadium (Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
Ballard has overcome previous fitness concerns and become a leader. Sunderland is a changing club structurally and those who brought the centre-half in have departed, but Ballard immediately impressed incoming director of football, Florent Ghisolfi.
In December, Ghisolfi told The Athletic: “In terms of squad-building our attitude is to first improve the squad as individuals. Today when you see Dan Ballard, you understand.
“I can go to the market, all of them, I cannot find a Ballard. He is Sunderland — hard work, resilience, talent. A very discreet guy, but he is afraid of nothing, he is a killer, a machine. I can look in Argentina, other markets, I can’t find Ballard. So we have to value this player. We know he has to play regularly.”