# Daniel Ballard

Daniel George Ballard (born 22 September 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for EFL Championship side Sunderland. Born in England, he represents Northern Ireland at international level.

## Club career
### Arsenal

Born in Stevenage, Ballard joined the Arsenal Academy at the age of eight. He signed his first professional contract in June 2018.

#### Loan to Swindon Town

Ballard moved on loan from Arsenal to Swindon Town in July 2019. He made his debut in a 2–0 win against Scunthorpe United in the League Two on 3 August 2019, coming off the bench in the 88th minute. He then scored his first career goal in an EFL Trophy tie against Chelsea U21s on 6 August 2019. But his loan spell was cut short after just three appearances due to a severe knee injury that required 5 months of recovery time.

#### Loan to Blackpool

In October 2020, he moved on loan to Blackpool, signing with the club until January 2021. Ballard made his debut in a 1–0 loss against Charlton in League One on 20 October. On 5 January 2021, it was announced that the loan had been extended to the end of the season. He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 draw against Crewe Alexandra on 2 March 2021.

#### Loan to Millwall

He moved on loan to Millwall on 1 July 2021. He scored his first goal for the club when he scored against West Bromwich Albion on 11 September 2021 in a 1–1 draw.

### Sunderland

On 30 June 2022, Ballard joined newly promoted Championship club Sunderland for an undisclosed fee, signing a three-year contract. On 16 September 2023, Ballard scored his first goal for Sunderland in a 3–1 win against QPR.
He signed a new deal in July 2024 to extend his time on Wearside until 2028.

## International career

Born in England, Ballard qualifies to represent Northern Ireland as his mother was born there.
He has represented Northern Ireland at Under-18 and Under-21 levels. He was called up to the senior team for the first time in March 2019. He made his senior debut in a 1–1 draw against Romania in a Nations League game in September 2020.
In September 2023, Ballard was injured and ruled out of Euros qualifying matches. In October 2024, he missed Nations League games due to injury.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 22 February 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Arsenal | 2019–20 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arsenal | 2020–21 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arsenal | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Arsenal | Total | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swindon Town (loan) | 2019–20 | League Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Blackpool (loan) | 2020–21 | League One | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| Millwall (loan) | 2021–22 | Championship | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 33 | 1 |
| Sunderland | 2022–23 | Championship | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Sunderland | 2023–24 | Championship | 42 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 43 | 3 |
| Sunderland | 2024–25 | Championship | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 2 |
| Sunderland | Total | Total | 80 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 84 | 5 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 137 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 150 | 9 |
* ↑ Appearance in EFL Trophy
* ↑ Appearances in League One play-offs

### International

    As of match played 18 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Northern Ireland | 2020 | 5 | 0 |
| Northern Ireland | 2021 | 7 | 1 |
| Northern Ireland | 2022 | 4 | 1 |
| Northern Ireland | 2023 | 5 | 0 |
| Northern Ireland | 2024 | 7 | 3 |
| Northern Ireland | Total | 28 | 5 |
    Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Ballard goal.
List of international goals scored by Daniel Ballard :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Cap | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 2 September 2021 | LFF Stadium, Vilnius, Lithuania | Lithuania | 9 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 9 June 2022 | Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo | Kosovo | 15 | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C |
| 3 | 8 June 2024 | Estadi Mallorca Son Moix, Palma de Mallorca, Spain | Spain | 23 | 1–0 | 1–5 | Friendly |
| 4 | 5 September 2024 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Luxembourg | 25 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League C |
| 5 | 15 November 2024 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Belarus | 27 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2024-25 UEFA Nations League C |