Here is the full transcript of Dan Ballard's first interview as a Sunderland AFC player, following his move from Arsenal earlier this week...
OVER THE LINE
“It feels amazing. It’s been a stressful couple of weeks but I'm extremely happy to be here and finally get the deal over the line.”
INTEREST FROM LAST SEASON
“I think they reached out towards the end of the season actually so it’s been a long time coming, and as soon as I heard the club was interested, I’ve been looking forward to getting up here and hoping they could sort a deal out between the clubs. I’m just delighted that it’s all gone through.”
PREMIER LEAGUE
“I think the fanbase, and the size and history of the club. You can see it’s a Premier League club with the stadium, the setup and the fans. That was extremely appealing and getting up here and having a look around, getting a feel for the place it’s an exciting place to come.”
MILLWALL/BLACKPOOL
“I think the last two years have been extremely successful and I’ve enjoyed my time at the last two clubs. I’m looking to take the next step forward and I feel like this is the perfect place to come.”
FAMILIAR FACES
“I was extremely close to Embo at Blackpool. We spent a lot of time together and had a successful year there getting promoted. Of course, the experience of Corry from knowing him with Northern Ireland, it’s nice having a few mates coming into the team to help me settle down quickly. That was a big factor in wanting to come here."
AGENT EMBO
“I’ve been speaking to Embo a lot recently and he’s been convincing me to make the move!”
PLAYING STYLE
“I think you can expect to see someone who loves defending, tackling and organising. Probably more of a traditional centre half and they are the type of qualities I want to bring to the team. Hopefully I can fit in well and add a little something extra to the success of last season.”
CHAMPIONSHIP
“I think after last year getting promotion we’d like to really establish ourselves in the Championship. Having played in the league last year, it’s a very tough league and anyone can beat anyone. So who knows where we could finish.”
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