Sunderland beat Millwall 3-0 at the Stadium of Light in their first game back after the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last weekend.
Tony Mowbray’s men were able to sweep The Lions aside with a relatively comfortable win, thanks to goals from Amad Diallo, Alex Pritchard, and Ellis Simms.
The Black Cats were sitting in the top half of the table before this weekend’s round of fixtures and are now closing in on the play-off places after 21 matches, which highlights how impressive their return to this level has been since they were promoted from League One last season.
One player who has been key to the club’s success this term has been experienced central defender Danny Batth. The former Stoke City enforcer has played every single minute of the campaign so far and caught the eye with some impressive displays.
Journalist Josh Bunting described his performance against Millwall as “colossal” and he has been a titan at the back throughout the season – winning 72% of his aerial battles and making 4.3 clearances per match.
However, Mowbray may already need to start thinking about what life will look like after him. Batth turned 32 in September and his current contract is due to expire at the end of the term, which suggests that he is not going to be a long-term option for the manager.
The head coach could now find the heir to the superb defender’s throne at centre-back by unearthing Academy of Light youngster Zak Johnson in the coming months.
Mowbray named the 18-year-old on the bench for Sunderland’s 2-1 win over Birmingham City in November, something that indicates the manager sees potential in the young talent.
Journalist Josh Bunting described Johnson as an “exciting” prospect because of his “key defensive attributes“, whilst also telling supporters to “remember the name“.
The teenager has played 24 times for the U21 side, after making 16 appearances for the U18s, and made his senior bow for the Black Cats in the EFL Trophy – playing one minute – in the 2021/22 campaign.
He has played ten matches at youth level as a right-back but he is a central defender by trade and has played in the heart of the defence on 26 occasions for Sunderland.
The enforcer has made himself a regular in the U21s, despite only turning 18 in July, and this, along with Mowbray’s decision to call him up to the first-team squad, suggests that he has the potential to make the step up to senior football in the future as he has already made great strides in his youth career.
Therefore, Johnson could be the long-term heir to the exceptional Batth’s position in the team and the boss should give the academy gem more exposure in the Championship, whether that comes in the form of minutes or making matchday squads.
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