Daniel Ballard

About

Professional soccer player best known for playing as a defender for the EFL Championship team Sunderland Association FC. He also began playing for the Northern Ireland national team at its youth level levels and senior team beginning in 2019. He has previously played for teams such as Arsenal FC, and on loan to Swindon Town, Blackpool, and Millwall.

Before Fame

He began his youth career with Arsenal Academy when he was only 8 years old. He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2018 and made his senior career debut on loan to Swindon Town in a 2-0 win against Scunthorpe United.

Trivia

He has also played as a center-back and defensive midfielder. He scored an international goal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Lithuania, and 2 international goals in the 2022-23 UEFA Nations League match against Kosovo.

Family Life

On Christmas Day in the year 2019, he shared a photo on his dgballard Instagram account in which he appeared alongside his mother and his brothers Harrison and Ryan. Despite having been born in England, his mother is from Northern Ireland, which allows him to represent Northern Ireland internationally. 

Associated With

He began playing for Sunderland Association FC in 2022, and has played alongside teammates including Dennis Cirkin, Timothée Pembélé, and Patrick Roberts.