Sunderland boss discusses Denver Hume and Laurens De Bock’s battle for left-back

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Sunderland boss Jack Ross insists that new signing Laurens De Bock will not be automatically replacing Denver Hume at left-back. 

The Black Cats lost both Bryan Oviedo and Reece James this summer, leaving them short at left-back. 

With that in mind, they snapped up Leeds United’s outcast defender De Bock on a loan spell until the end of the campaign.

However, as he told the Chronicle, it does not mean Hume will immediately be out of the starting XI once the Belgian’s fitness is up to scratch. 

“As far as Denver is concerned, he’s in possession of the jersey at the moment and he just has to keep on playing well, because the harsh reality of football is that there is always someone on your shoulder looking to take your position.

“It’s not that he is a young player playing because we have no choice, he is playing because I like him.”

TBR’s View

After the first few games of the new season, Sunderland fans were desperate for a new left-back to come in and replace Hume.

The 23-year-old struggled for form at the start of the campaign and many worried he was not up to scratch for this level. 

However, over the past few weeks, Hume’s performances have improved. Indeed, he grabbed an assist in yesterday’s 3-1 win at Accrington Stanley. 

De Bock will now seemingly have a fight on his hands to become the starting left-back at Sunderland and that can only be a good thing for Ross and co. 

Hopefully, the competition can bring the best out of both men.