Trai Hume acknowledges the difficulties that come with quick turnarounds for international players but refuses to make excuses after Sunderland’s 2-1 loss to Stoke. Despite the defeat, Hume and a number of his teammates, such as Dan Ballard, Jobe Bellingham, Mason Burstow, and Nazariy Rusyn, had just returned from international duty.
Hume had featured in two games for Northern Ireland during the break, including a 1-0 defeat against Slovenia. When asked about his preparations for the Stoke match, Hume replied, “I got back on Thursday morning, so I didn’t really have much time to rest after playing on Tuesday. I trained on Friday and played on Saturday.”
“I try to separate international football from league football,” Hume continued. “But personally, it’s tough on the legs to play Saturday-Tuesday every week. Some of the boys get a break when we go away with international duty, but as international players, we don’t. However, I won’t complain about it. My goal is to play every week, and I’ll give my best to achieve that.”
Sunderland once again struggled against their former manager Alex Neil, who has now won both matches against the Black Cats while in charge of Stoke. Hume explained, “He knows our players and our style of play. I’m sure he analyzed us thoroughly throughout the week. Despite that, I believe we played well, created numerous chances, but couldn’t convert them.”
Looking ahead, Sunderland aims to bounce back from their back-to-back defeats as they face Championship leaders Leicester on Tuesday. Hume expressed his excitement for the match, stating, “Currently, they are the best team in the league. Sitting at the top of the table and in great form, they are undoubtedly the league’s strongest team. It will be a good test for us, especially the young players, as we go there to challenge ourselves against one of the league’s best teams. Hopefully, we can give them a tough competition.”
