Trai Hume's delight at Sunderland switch

Hume has been one of the Irish League’s rising stars after excelling with Linfield and previously during a loan spell with Ballymena United.

That attracted the attention of several clubs in England and Scotland with the Black Cats winning the race for the 19-year-old.

Hume is delighted to be heading to the Stadium of Light, and the ambitious young player is hoping it can lead to a senior Northern Ireland call-up after becoming a mainstay of the Under-21 set-up.

“The ambition was always to try and get a move to England and to go and play,” he told the club website.

“I want to get my name out there and do the best I can, to hopefully get called up to the senior Northern Ireland International squad at some point.

“I’m delighted to be joining a big club like Sunderland and can’t wait to get started.”

The Ballymena teenager, who has been with the Blues since he was 11, credits the move to full-time football at Windsor Park, coupled with the influence of his boss David Healy, as key components in him securing a move to the League One side.

“David has been brilliant with me since I was 16 or 17, he has helped me a lot in my development and put a lot of faith in me this season, so I would like to thank him,” said Hume.

“Playing full-time football this year with Linfield has helped me a lot and with regard to going across to England now, I feel that has made me better prepared.

“The past six months or so in Linfield’s first team have improved me a lot.

“Linfield is a high level - playing in Europe is harder than the league, so I think that experience stood me in good stead going into this season.

“Since then, I’ve tried to kick on and continue to improve all aspects of my game.”

And Hume will be cheering on the Blues from Wearside hoping they secure another league title and what would be the teenager’s first.

“If the lads can go and win the title, it would be my first winners medal in first team football,” he said.

“I will be checking the scores as soon as I can but I have no doubt that we will win the league – that’s the standards we set here.

“I would be very happy for the squad, the manager and the fans, if we can do it.”