Sunderland

Dan Ballard

A tough centre-back who throws himself into defending with total commitment. He plays like a leader, strong in the air and honest in the way he protects the box.
Northern Ireland Sunderland DEF
Appearances
5
Tackles won
4

Season Snapshot

Minutes played
450
90.00 per match
Tackles won
4
Interceptions
4
Clean sheets contributed
31
as defensive proxy

Season Stats

Appearances
5
Minutes played
450
Tackles won
4
Interceptions
4
Clearances
31
Blocks
4

League Rankings

Among Premier League 2026/27 defenders

Tackles won
45th of 121
Interceptions
41st of 120
Clearances
14th of 136
Blocks
25th of 93
😈 The Bad Boys #4 of 326
🟨 Most Cards #31 of 152
🎯 Pass Masters #83 of 417
👻 Ghost Players #144 of 273
👑 Assist Kings #178 of 273
💪 Workhorses #188 of 273

Upcoming Sunderland fixtures

Play along with Ballard on the Match Bingo app
img Premier League
SUN
SUN
15:00
Sat 10 Oct
BHA
BHA
img Premier League
BOU
BOU
14:00
Sun 18 Oct
SUN
SUN
img Premier League
SUN
SUN
16:30
Sun 25 Oct
LEE
LEE
img Premier League
COV
COV
15:00
Sat 31 Oct
SUN
SUN
img Premier League
SUN
SUN
14:00
Sun 8 Nov
CHE
CHE

The Rest Of The Squad

30 players

Goalkeepers

22
Robin Roefs
Netherlands · Age 23
5 apps
31
Melker Ellborg
Age 23
0 apps
21
Simon Moore
Age 36
0 apps

Defenders

12
Thomas Meunier
Belgium · Age 35
5 apps 1a
20
Nordi Mukiele
Age 28
4 apps
17
Reinildo Mandava
Age 32
4 apps
32
Trai Hume
Age 24
4 apps
4
Kevin Danso
Tottenham Hotspur · Age 28
2 apps
6
Dayann Méthalie
Age 20
1 app
15
Omar Alderete
Paraguay · Age 29
1 app
48
Jenson Jones
Age 20
0 apps

Midfielders

28
Enzo Le Fée
Age 26
5 apps 1g 1a
34
Granit Xhaka
Switzerland · Age 34
5 apps
27
Noah Sadiki
Congo DR · Age 21
5 apps
11
Chris Rigg
Age 19
2 apps
19
Habib Diarra
Senegal · Age 22
2 apps 1a
13
Luke O'Nien
Age 31
1 app
8
Alan Browne
Middlesbrough · Age 31
0 apps
40
Jack Whittaker
Age 19
0 apps
29
Jules Ahoka
Age 20
0 apps
77
Tom Proctor
Age 17
0 apps

Forwards

9
Brian Brobbey
Netherlands · Age 24
5 apps 3g
10
Nilson Angulo
Ecuador · Age 23
5 apps 1g 1a
18
Wilson Isidor
Haiti · Age 26
5 apps 1g
39
Malick Fofana
Age 21
3 apps
7
Chemsdine Talbi
Morocco · Age 21
1 app
14
Romaine Mundle
Age 23
1 app
37
Jocelin Ta Bi
Age 21
0 apps
—
Juan Angulo
Age 18
0 apps
57
Tymur Tutierov
Exeter City · Age 21
0 apps
View all posts
Tom Davis • October 1st, 2026

Clean sheets in the Premier League and Championship

Five Premier League keepers have three clean sheets from five games, but Konstantinos Tzolakis has made the most saves of the group. In the Championship, George Wickens has matched Lawrence Vigouroux's four clean sheets while facing far more shots.
Tom Davis • September 30th, 2026

Eight Championship players are one yellow card from a ban

Eight Championship players are one yellow card away from a one-match ban. Card rates show who might be missing, and QPR should line up cover for Jake Clarke-Salter now.
Tom Davis • September 29th, 2026

Five Premier League games in and some players are already halfway to a ban

Matt Crooks has three yellows from three games for Hull. Our Most Cards and Bad Boys boards show who is closest to a Premier League ban after five matches.
Bingo • Tom Davis • September 4th, 2026

Match Bingo Game Modes Explained

There are three game types on Match Bingo and they behave less alike than they sound. Live Games follow a real fixture as it's played. Bingoals swaps the fifteen events for fifteen teams and needs every one of them to score. Quick Games run every few minutes on football from last season, so there's nothing to wait for.
Football News • Tom Davis • September 1st, 2026

Does a New Signing Change Anything on Your Match Bingo Card?

Deadline day comes and goes and your card stays exactly as it was. Match Bingo cards are built from things that happen in a match, goals and corners and fouls, rather than from the players who make them happen. No name on a teamsheet reaches a single square. Here's what a signing does change, and what it doesn't.
Bingo • Tom Davis • August 31st, 2026

Is Match Bingo Safe? Licensing, Fair Play and Player Protection

Two things usually sit behind that question: whether the company is real and regulated, and whether the game itself can be got at by somebody sharper than you. Match Bingo is operated by RTSB Limited under Gambling Commission account 51467, which takes about a minute to check. The second answer is duller: there's nothing to press.
Bingo • Tom Davis • August 28th, 2026

What Is Football Bingo?

A card holds fifteen things that can happen in a football match, and each square marks itself the moment its event happens in the fixture you've chosen. You buy before kick-off, then you go and watch the game. Complete a horizontal row of five before anybody else and you take the fixed prize for that tier.
Weekly Round Up • Tom Davis • August 27th, 2026

This Week on Match Bingo: Premier League and Championship, 28 to 31 August

A Friday night opener, a full Saturday, and Villa against Arsenal alone on the Monday.
View all posts

Dan Ballard: The Box Warrior

Sunderland’s defensive battler, built to head, block and fight for every inch in front of goal.

Ballard defends like he’s protecting something personal. He attacks crosses, wins first contacts and throws his body into blocks with a kind of commitment supporters instantly respect. Sunderland will always face periods without the ball, and Ballard is built for that reality, making danger feel smaller through pure resilience.

He also sets the tone. His aggression spreads through the defence, turning nervous moments into competitive ones. Ballard isn’t about glamour, he’s about survival football done properly, and Sunderland’s shape is stronger because he defends the box like it’s his responsibility alone.

All things Sunderland

See more stats for Sunderland players

Sunderland

Dennis Cirkin

Granit Xhaka

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