SUNERLAND’S Daniel Ballard is eager to put a “frustrating” time behind him and get some critical match minutes for Northern Ireland. The 25-year-old is back in Michael O’Neill’s squad for the final two Nations League matches, at home against Belarus on Friday and away to Luxembourg on Monday, after missing October’s fixtures due to an ankle injury. That setback followed a knee injury suffered in pre-season, and as a result, Ballard has made only five appearances for Championship-leading Sunderland this season, playing just 11 minutes off the bench in the previous two months.
However, with Paddy McNair, Eoin Toal, and Jamal Lewis all out, Northern Ireland may rely on the big defender in the next two games, and Ballard is certain he is prepared to step in. “I feel fine now,” Ballard told the Pennsylvania News Agency. “It’s been a frustrating month; I’ve not played too much football this season so it’s been stop-start so far, but I’m just happy to be back out there training and I feel ready to get some minutes now.”
When asked if he felt capable of playing 90 minutes if necessary, Ballard responded: “I believe so. I’ve been training for two or three weeks and played a few minutes with Sunderland this weekend. Even though it was only a few, I’ve been running and exercising a lot with the boys, and I feel good today.” In Ballard’s absence, Aji Alese and subsequently Chris Mepham impressed, implying that the former Arsenal defender will have to fight for his place in the team. Regis Le Bris, however, emphasized Ballard’s importance to the Sunderland cause this week, stating that he will play a critical part this season.
Le Bris appears to have had his wish answered after expressing his desire for Ballard to have some much-needed minutes in the tank while away with Northern Ireland. On the international stage, Ballard’s ailment forced him to watch last month’s 5-0 defeat of Bulgaria from home. As frustrating as it was to not be in Belfast, Ballard could only enjoy what he saw. “It was really enjoyable,” he remarked. “You could feel the excitement in the stadium. It was a night I would have liked to be a part of, but seeing the team win was even sweeter, especially at home where we have been so strong.
“It was and was not a surprise. I believe we’ve played well in recent games but haven’t quite put the finishing touches on them, but a game like that felt like it was coming for the group.We’ve been improving as a squad, and once we got the early goal, the momentum was on our side, and you could see the skill in the bunch.” The result has put Northern Ireland in possession of League C Group 3 heading into the last two games, but Ballard believes there is no added pressure on the players.
“I think we’ve been on a decent run of form and as a group we’re really confident,” stated the player. “We’ve already played Belarus and Luxembourg, so we know we can do well against them. Now it’s just a matter of putting everything together and getting enough points to win the group. “Doing that would demonstrate progress. I believe we should win this group on paper. Obviously, we’ve had some rough moments recently, and it’s been great to regain that momentum. “We had a really young group, so we had to gel together, and it all came at the right time. We’re feeling confident right now, so we’re headed in the right direction.”
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