Ballard is praised for stepping up

REGIS Le Bris admitted it was “not a surprise” to see Dan Ballard’s starring display during Sunderland’s 3-0 win against West Ham.

- By REBECCA JOHNSON

The 25-year-old was at the heart of the Black Cats’ impressive return to the Premier League, keeping a clean sheet and scoring a goal in their first topflight appearance since May 2017.

Ballard was key during the club's promotion campaign last season, where he scored a last-gasp winner in the playoff semifinal against Coventry, and Le Bris has challenged the defender to repeat his display.

“I’m not surprised by his performance because he showed last season during the playoffs that it was possible for him to reach that level,” Le Bris said.

“So for me it's not a surprise. The main challenge for him is to repeat the same performance week after week, so it's the consistency and always one of the main problems.