Daniel Ballard explains why he celebrated scoring against Arsenal

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Just Arsenal News

·25 November 2025

Daniel Ballard explains why he celebrated scoring against Arsenal

Daniel Ballard spent more than a decade at the Arsenal academy, joining in 2007 and remaining until 2019, before being promoted to the first team squad, where he stayed until 2022. Much of his senior development came through loan spells, and Mikel Arteta never regarded him as one of the academy graduates most likely to make a significant impact on the first team.

Sunderland Signing and Key Contributions

In 2022, Sunderland signed Ballard permanently, and he has since become a key player for the club. The defender played a pivotal role in their promotion back to the Premier League this season and has been in impressive form at the Stadium of Light. His performances have earned praise from fans and pundits alike, underlining his growth and maturity as a professional footballer.

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Ballard’s progress was particularly evident when Sunderland faced Arsenal prior to the last international window. The Gunners struggled in that encounter, which ended in a 2-2 draw at a stadium where Sunderland had remained unbeaten before the match. Ballard scored the opening goal and celebrated enthusiastically, a reaction that surprised some observers given his recent history with Arsenal.

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Ballard Reflects on Arsenal Connection

Despite his history with the club, Ballard has explained that he does not feel a strong connection to the Arsenal first team. He told Give Me Sport, “I love Arsenal for everything they’ve done for me, but I suppose I never really had that real connection with the first team. It was more sort of the academy and, you know, all the staff and the amazing people that helped me. I never got that real chance in the first team. So I was never not going to celebrate in a stadium like that in such a big game. I was always going to celebrate. I’ll just always give 100% and I think fans appreciate that.”

His comments offer insight into a player who developed through one club but achieved recognition elsewhere, illustrating the distinction between youth potential and opportunity at the senior level in top-flight football.

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