‘Excellent’ – Kevin Danso Gets Sunderland Debut Praise From Ex-Star | OneFootball

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Former Sunderland defender Gary Bennett has praised Tottenham Hotspur loanee Kevin Danso following his debut, describing the Austria international’s performance alongside central defender Dan Ballard as ‘excellent’.

The Austria international completed a season-long loan move to Sunderland last week, with an obligation to make the transfer permanent for £22.5m should the Black Cats retain their Premier League status.

On the basis of last season’s exploits, that could well be straightforward.

The move came despite Roberto De Zerbi backing Danso following his arrival in April, with the Italian insisting he expected the defender to remain in Lilywhite for the following season.

Danso now has Europa League football alongside domestic competition to look forward to under Regis Le Bris, something Spurs cannot offer this season, and he was handed his Sunderland debut at the weekend against Brentford.

The contest ended in a 1-1 stalemate, with the 27-year-old completing the full 90 minutes and recording eight defensive contributions.

Bennett felt Sunderland could take plenty of encouragement from the draw, praising their excellent first-half performance and noting how the Bees’ half-time changes helped turn the game in the hosts’ favour.

He also pointed to the attacking promise of Wilson Isidor and Brian Brobbey, suggesting their time together demonstrated that the pair could develop an effective partnership.

Defensively, the 64-year-old was impressed by Sunderland’s ability to stand firm when required, singling out Danso for particular praise after his debut while also highlighting the Black Cats’ positive approach.

Bennett told BBC Radio Newcastle: “It was a good point.

“It was excellent football from Sunderland, especially in the first 45 minutes.

“We forced Brentford to make changes at half-time and it worked in their favour. They got their noses in front.

“Credit to Sunderland, they kept going.

“We deserved something out of the game.

“When Wilson Isidor came on, it proved he and Brian Brobbey can play together.

“If they can get that partnership working, who knows?

“Sunderland are playing at a good tempo.

“We defended when we needed to defend – Kevin Danso had an excellent debut next to Dan Ballard.”

Le Bris now turns his attention to an important EFL Cup clash against Hull City at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night, with it still unclear whether rotation will hand Danso another opportunity to feature.

The centre-back already has a goal in the competition, though it came for his parent club when he opened his Spurs account in last week’s 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic.

Having made an encouraging start on Wearside, Danso will now look to build on his debut and continue making his mark for the Black Cats.