Trai Hume — a modern day Sunderland cult hero!

Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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One could be forgiven for not having paid too much attention when, in January 2022, Sunderland unveiled the signing of an unknown nineteen-year-old full back from Linfield FC.

After all, the fee was meagre at a nominal £175,000, and he represented a prospect for a future iteration of a Sunderland squad battling its way back to the Championship from the depths of League One.

The 2021/2022 winter transfer window generated a lot of excitement within Sunderland circles, with the high-profile signings of Patrick

Roberts and Danny Batth, the loan signing of starlet Jack Clarke and of course, the fabled return of modern-day club legend Jermain Defoe.

It would be fair, therefore, to say that the only fee paid during that window was for a player without too much initial fanfare — and that player was, of course, Trai Hume.

Photo by Ian Horrocks/Sunderland AFC via Getty Images

Although he only made three appearances during our ultimately successful final season in League One, Hume was called up by Northern Ireland in March 2022, becoming a full international. It was a clear recognition of talent within the young defender, and a sign that Kristjaan Speakman and Stuart Harvey may have spotted something special.

Following promotion to the Championship, Hume took advantage of an injury-hit Sunderland defence and slotted in seamlessly at right back in place of long-term servant, Lynden Gooch.

This was the true beginning of a meteoric rise in confidence, development and fan appreciation for Hume, so what’s made him such an iconic player of the Kyril Louis-Dreyfus era?

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A full-blooded style of play

It’s no secret that Sunderland fans love a hardworking and hard-hitting player, and that’s never been embodied as effectively as Hume does.

He epitomises what it is to represent Sunderland as both a club and a city, and he’s done it consistently and effectively since his breakthrough. A versatile full back capable of playing on either flank, Hume lives for a huge tackle and is so defensively sound that he’s been trusted at both club and international level to play at centre half when required.

He’s also shown a remarkable capability for understanding tactical nuance in various systems, and was largely successful when undertaking an inverted role during Tony Mowbray’s tenure.

However, it’s his attacking output which has seen huge developments during his time at the club.

There was a period at the back end of the 2024/2025 season when Hume was contributing with goals or assists in nearly every game. This highlighted his growth, and he’s become absolutely pivotal to both the attacking and defensive aspects of Régis Le Bris’ Sunderland.

Of course, none of this would be as notable if not for Hume’s undeniable reliability and resilience against injury, which allows him to both grow as a player and showcase his ability to the fans every week without fail.

Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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A favourite on the terraces

What are all of these attributes worth if not backed up with a definitive identity to gravitate towards?

The first indication of this was a passing of the torch and a huge sign of faith in the starting full back, as Gooch’s signature ‘GOOOOCH,’ was so quickly and effectively repurposed to suit ‘HUUUUUME’ himself. This is the soundtrack to every Hume tackle; everyone knows it and it’s a highlight of any Sunderland performance.

While he generally possesses a quiet and focused demeanour, you can see that he has a huge amount of passion for the club, which is shown in the big moments — tackles and goals. It’s a small part of his wider character, but qualities like dedication endear players to the Sunderland faithful.

It’s this attitude which has seen him granted the captain’s armband by Northern Ireland and there’s also a distinct possibility that Hume will be the only player left in Sunderland’s Premier League starting eleven who’s come all the way from League One.

Sunderland has a history with iconic full backs: Julio Arca, Michael Gray, Chris Makin and John Kay, among others.

It’s clear why those players were all fan favourites and it’s fitting that we have another entry on the list. And to top it all off, this has all been cultivated with a signature look: the unmistakable ‘mullet and moustache’ combo.

Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images

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The man and the moments

OK, so he has the ability and the identity, but how does it all come together?

To truly leave your mark on the fans, it’s essential to leave a lasting legacy in terms of iconic individual moments — think back to Jimmy Montgomery’s save, or Kevin Phillips’ goals vs the Mags.

Hume has this base covered already, and he’s only twenty three. Having showed up massively in every big game Sunderland have been in over the last few years (ignore the Newcastle game), he’s contributed to some incredibly important moments.

Although not necessarily important in the grand scheme of things, the first one that comes to mind is in the form of his crunching tackle on James McClean just ten months into his Sunderland career.

Making no mistake in identifying a heavy touch from the oft-maligned Irishman, Hume took advantage and crumpled the lad onto the touchline to rapturous applause. Good start!

Next, we look back at the 2022/2023 playoff semi-final vs Luton.

After finding ourselves 0-1 down at the Stadium of Light, a piece of magic from an Alex Pritchard-assisted Amad set piece brought us level, but knew we needed to push for an advantage to take to Kenilworth Road and therefore needed a special moment from somebody.

Step forward, Trai.

After working an opening from a corner, a low cross in from Jack Clarke found Hume, who bulleted a standing header into the bottom corner, showing the fans that the dream was truly alive at that moment.

Photo by Will Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images

Since then, he’s only grown in ability and stature, which was identified and rewarded at the end of 2024/2025, when he deservedly won the ‘Player of the Season’ award in a team which battled at the very top throughout.

Given that award, a trademark tackle and a big match moment, how do we tie it together? Look no further than our most recent Wembley triumph.

After a less-than stellar first half, we’d equalised through a glorious finish from Eliezer Mayenda, but something was needed to truly galvanise the fans; to show we were on top, and to stoke the fire of the Sunderland half of the 80,000-strong red and white cauldron.

An injury suffered by Gus Hamer presented Chris Wilder with the opportunity to bring on the dangerous Ben Brereton-Diaz, and you can already see it in your mind: it’s the 85^th minute, the ball comes into Brereton-Diaz on Hume’s wing, and I’ll just quote the man himself for the rest.

I just couldn’t be arsed chasing him, so I just thought I’d hit him.

The most thunderous tackle raked through Brereton-Diaz’s being, leaving him in a heap, unable to continue, and all backed by a chorus of cheers and the sound of ‘HUUUUUME’.

That moment signified the turning point in the most important match in Sunderland’s recent history. From there, the rest is history and it’s here where Hume solidified himself as a true modern cult hero.

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Conclusion: he’s class!

There isn’t a weak point in Hume’s overall footballing profile and he embodies everything it is to be a Lads’ cult hero.

For me, with another few years, that could even be underselling his value and stature at the club, as he has all the qualities to become a true hero at Sunderland.

An ever-present figure in a hugely likeable and successful squad, it’s fair to say he’s earned his place in the Premier League, and I can’t wait to see what comes next for Hume in red and white!

Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images

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