Football Daily - Sunderland's Dan Ballard on derby win, promotion & Xhaka impact

Episode Date: December 20, 2025

Sunderland defender Dan Ballard speaks to BBC Sport's Betty Glover about the Wear-Tyne derby win, promotion and the impact Granit Xhaka has had on the Black Cats. They discuss how everyone has adapted so well to the Premier League and his teams aim for the rest of the season. They also get into his ability to step up in big games and how he's improved himself since last season.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. This is the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds. Hey Dan Nice to meet you Nice to meet you

How are you? Yeah, I'm very good Thank you Yeah, very good A bit cold It's freezing here yet It's freezing Thank you so much

For speaking to us today There's only one place to start Really isn't there And that is with the Derby Yeah Are you over it yet? I mean it was a great day It was a really good day

So training this week's been Nice The lads are still buzzing So yeah it was A great result for us Are you like replaying it in your head, like the atmosphere and everything? Yeah, I mean, games like that, they're tense and you're desperate to win.

So a lot of it's a bit of a blur, to be honest. But I've been watching it back, you know. The goal was unfortunate, but it was nice for us. And watching all the reaction from the fans, it's been really nice, yeah. Very different to the last time you played Newcastle, right? Yeah, obviously that was, obviously I scored the own goal last time. so I know what it feels like and the backlash from that and it's been you know reminded to me for the last two three years so it was nice to to get one back over

them in probably the more important game now in the Premier League and yeah we felt like we was we could go in and win that game and we was really competitive and I think we fairly deserved to win you were I think the only player to start in both of those games And obviously, like you say, it was a bit of a nightmare from your perspective, the FA Cup game in 2024. How much motivation did that give you then coming into this one? Yeah, I mean, I was desperate to win, but I think having that experience, you know, help me in that game because I knew what the atmosphere would be like. I knew how chaotic it would be and how pumped up the crowd would be.

So, you know, I used it as a positive. think too much about, you know, the backlash or, you know, the bad times from that day. So I think it really helped. And when the final whistle went, it, you know, it just felt so much better. What is the atmosphere like? Can you explain it? It's different to anything. It's hard to describe, really. I mean, the playoff semi-final at the stadium of light was incredible. And, you know, you can feel the nervousness in the crowd. that were supporting us. This game, it's almost like an anger in the stadium

and a real aggression coming from the crowd. And, you know, it's a big rivalry for a reason. And so it's important to, you know, stay calm. Don't sort of buy into it as much, but just use the energy from the crowd. And yeah, it's just a, it's like a real aggression from the crowd and real intensity. I can imagine.

What, I've got to talk to you about the picture. Whose idea was the picture? And also, like, did you have Newcastle's picture up in the dressing room or anything? Did you look at it a lot? No, I mean, it wasn't something we really spoke about. I mean, obviously Luke O'9 played in that game before, and he'd done a little speech before the game. And he brought that up, to be fair, and said how much, you know,

it hurt him and it hurt us. And I don't know who's idea. at the end of the game it was to get the pitcher back. To me, it doesn't really mean much but, you know, for some players it probably hurt a little bit more than others, but I think the most important thing was

just winning the game and you know, it was in our own stadium we could kind of do what we do what we wanted after. It's quite funny though. It's good crack. Yeah, I mean, it's nice to get that revenge, I suppose. Yeah, yeah, because it's, it was disrespectful

what they've done, so yeah. And did you know that Newcastle on the scoreboard? Newcastle didn't have the name on there, just they've visited. I did see that during the game. I don't know why they've done that or whatever, but yeah, I did know it set in the game. I thought that was strange. This is the Football Daily podcast from Five Life Sports.

Let's talk about this season then, because it is going so well. Did you expect it to go this well? No, not really, to be honest. I mean, I don't think anyone thought we'd do as well as we have, especially at home. I think we knew that would be important for who's going to stay in the league, but to be unbeaten still is quite an achievement. Unbeaten at home is a ridiculous achievement, isn't it? What is it that makes the stadium of light so special?

It's just a really good energy from the crowd, and obviously we've been out of the Premier League for quite a while now, there's a real excitement and it's hard as a player to not respond to that and even when we've gone behind in games so we was 2-0 down against Wormouth and the fans didn't change or there was no you know real negative feedback it was just pushing us on and we thought we could win when we was 2-0-down and that's you know down to them there's so many new players in the in the squad this season as well. What's happened to allow them to adapt so quickly?

I don't know if the club just got lucky or whatever it was, but the players we've signed are great people as well and they've settled in, you know, really comfortably. We've got a lot of boys from last year that are still here and there's obviously a good connection from us, but the new boys have just slotted in and they're great people more than anything. So I I think we get on really well off the pitch and that obviously helps on the weekend. One of the new signings is, of course, Granite Jaka, who was at Arsenal, the same time you were when you were in the academy. What's he like? Yeah, he's an amazing guy.

I was a bit surprised when we signed him. I wasn't sure what it'd be like, but I mean, the impact he's had on the whole club really has been, I didn't think one person could, you know, affect the team. the way he's done and from minute one I think the standards you know really rose because he does everything you know we've just been outside it can be cold and wet and but he's he's a hundred percent focused and given everything in training so when some of us boys maybe not put in that work in and you see him doing it it's unacceptable for us if he's doing it he's won titles and played hundreds of games in the Premier League then why why shouldn't we so

I think that's, it's lifted everyone. Like I said, he was at Arsenal when you were in Arsenal's Academy and you played a couple of times, like you trained with him a couple of times, I think, didn't you? Did he remember you? He says he did. I mean, I don't know if he really did, but no, he says he remembers me. There's a lot smaller.

I've put on a bit of weight and size now since then. But yeah, I remembered him, but he was a superstar, you know, and I was just coming up through the ranks. Is it surreal then to be playing with him? Yeah, I think, you know, we're a few months in now, so he's just a teammate now, but when he first came, there was a little bit of, you're a little bit of star-struck by these players.

Do you think of yourself as a big game player? Because it feels like when you're in those pressurised situations, it's always you that ends up standing up, scoring a last-minute winner or whatever. Yeah, I think, you know, I have like a battle in my mind. my head, you know, I get really nervous for the big games, but I think I play a lot better with the nerves. So it's about sort of controlling them, but still allowing myself to be nervous

because it, you know, it fires me up, it focuses me on the game and in the highest pressure ones. I've seemed to do quite well recently, so yeah, just long may I continue. You do really well. One of those big games recently has of course been against Arsenal and you ended up scoring. How did that feel considering it was against your former club? Obviously it was really nice but I never played for the first team. So yes, I played for Arsenal for many years but never in that team.

So it was kind of for that I played for the Arsenal Academy and Arsenal was separate. But, I mean, scoring against a club like that and, you know, getting a result when they're top of the league and to do it, playing for Sunderland, who, you know, I've got really grew through that, sort of love this club. And, yeah, it was really nice. It was like a full circle moment, really. And you did a big celebration as well, of course. Yeah, yeah. I mean, as I say, I never played for the first team and I didn't want to be sort of disrespectful. It was a big goal in a big moment.

I was going to celebrate, yeah. Talking to big goals, you've scored quite a few. One of your biggest has probably got to be that playoff semi-final, right? Massive celebration. What are your memories from that moment? Yeah, I mean, it was funny, actually. The derby there was the first time the fans have lined the streets and got the flares out.

That smell instantly just brought me back to the semi-final night and it was just pure chaos in that stadium and I've watched it back alone so many times and we speak amongst the lads and, you know, it was such a high pressure moment and to win it, you know, literally the last kick of the game. just seeing the boys reaction after that and the stadium it was my greatest night in football and probably everyone in that dressing room do you think you're ever going to feel anything like that again I don't think anything will get close to that but I mean I'm more than happy with that

that was yeah probably my best football in night and everyone you know when I walk around Sunderland or bump into fans the first thing they say is you know that night was you know the best of their lives and they're forever thankful and yeah I wouldn't want to relive it because it was like so stressful but yeah it was um nothing will top that did you have to change anything or what did you do in that summer between playing in the championship and playing in the Premier League the trend has been it's a lot more physical the last few years and I knew that

if I could sort of tap into my strengths of, you know, being good at set pieces, being strong, physical, that's something I look to, you know, improve upon and sort of it's already a strength of mine, but to make it sort of a super strength. So I think that's helped a little bit this season. It felt like you really bulked up over the summer. I didn't necessarily try to. I think naturally, I don't know if it's with age or whatever, I've got, you know, a little bit stronger and I think it's helped. It's hard to tell before you sort of play the games, but you look at the centrebacks in the Premier League now, they are physically dominant and if I could be that for Sunderland and it would help the team winning the jewels, then, you know, it could help the

team. You know you say that you have sort of learnt to love this club. You're obviously not from here. But the football club's sporting director said the other day that you are Sunderland, that he could go looking in loads of different markets all over the world. He could be looking in Argentina, but he's never going to find a ballard. How does that make you feel when you hear those words? Yeah, it's obviously really nice and he joined us in the summer. So for someone to say that, obviously, it feels really nice. And he's not been here very long. And he's not been there very long. if he can see that and he's had a great career himself, it's a really nice thing to say.

And, you know, once you play a lot of games to this club, you learn to, you know, love the people. And the more people you meet, the more fans you meet and stories you hear. And it is a really special club. And, you know, I'm thankful we're doing well now because there's been some tough years recently and we've had some tough results and tough days.

So it's, you know, to get promoted was amazing and to carry on how we was going last year. It's just, yeah, we're delighted, we're delighted for them. How much credit do you give your manager, Regis Lebris? Because it feels like he really has sort of transformed the club, doesn't it? He's been amazing for us and I mean, it was a really good fit. You know, it was a really young team last year and the way he plays, he sets things out, you know, so simply and he knows exactly what he wants and he'll tell you exactly what he wants.

once and there's no beating around the bush. He's always coaching you and I've learned so much, probably more in the last year of my career than all the years before that. And he got us playing really well last year and he's made us a really strong competitive team. What are your aims at Sunderland? We need to obviously stay in the league

and we've had a really good start. But we know it's nowhere near finished and teams can go on six, seven game, losing streaks. We've seen it many years before, so we just need to be really competitive and our goals to get 40 points. And then hopefully we can do it sooner rather than later and take it from there, really. It certainly feels like you're definitely going to be staying in the Premier League. You're 8th currently, as I speak to you in December. Is Europe on your mind at all?

No, I mean, the games are so tough as they are. Like, that's all we can really think about is the next game. I mean, it's so early and the table's so tight. I mean, it's a really competitive league this year. So we'll just try to pick up as many points and maybe later on in the season, who knows where we'll be. But for now, it's just, you know, win as many games as possible. This winter, cricket's oldest rivalry is reignited.

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