Sunderland star Trai Hume is currently leading the Championship in one impressive statistic this season.
Sunderland have endured a very inconsistent season so far, starting well but falling apart in the second half of the campaign.
But one consistent has been Hume; the Northern Ireland international has played in all 38 of the Black Cats’ Championship fixtures so far this season.
He’s largely played at right-back but has shown his versatility stepping at centre-back on occasion as well.
Earlier this season, Hume revealed that he takes inspiration from Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold among other Premier League full-backs.
Trai Hume career so far
Hume may be one of the more under-rated signings of the Kyril Louis-Dreyfus era at Sunderland.
He was signed when the club was still in League One, brought in from Northern Irish outfit Linfield for a reported fee of just £200,000.
Under contract until 2027, Hume would make his breakthrough last season, featuring 30 times in the Championship with two goals and two assists.
He has one goal and one assist to his name this time round, but it’s not goal contortions where Hume shines.
Trai Hume has most tackles in the Championship this season
As per data taken from FBREF, the 22-year-old Hume is the player with the most tackles in the Championship this season.
So far, Hume has made 80 tackles; 13 more than anyone else in the Championship and more than double any of his Sunderland teammates.
Interestingly, 65 of those have come in the defensive third, which is the highest number of anyone in the Championship too.
Hume also leads the way for number of players tackles, coming in at 127 which is 32 more than anyone else in the league this season.
Sunderland gem Trai Hume emerging as a top talent
Ask any Sunderland fan and they’ll speak volumes about Hume.
His work-rate and passion makes him a fan favourite alone, and the fact that he’s a very good defender just adds to his popularity.
Playing on the right side of Sunderland’s defence, he’s come up against some top wingers in the Championship this season.
But the fact that he’s blown away the league in terms of tackles this season shows that he’s making that right channel a very difficult one for opposition teams to penetrate.
He’s a very agile player which makes him a tricky person to get past, and despite not being the biggest player, he’s proving to be very physical and strong in the 50/50s.
Right now, Mike Dodds‘ Sunderland are in a bit of a mess.
But in Hume they have an ever-reliable player and more are needed for the club going forward.
What’s more, if a club comes in for Hume this summer or in transfer windows to come, the club will be looking at a very tidy profit on the player.