Sunderland sign Northern Ireland international Daniel Ballard for undisclosed fee from Arsenal

Sunderland has announced its first summer transfer signing - Northern Ireland international Daniel Ballard.

The 22-year-old defender has joined the Stadium of Light side from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.

He has signed a three-year contract, which also includes the option of another year.

Last season he played Championship football last season with Millwall, which saw him make 31 appearance. He has also played for Swindon Town and Blackpool.

In his youth career, he twice captained the Gunners to the FA Youth Cup Final after joining the club’s academy aged eight.

In addition, he has been capped by the Northern Irish national side 15 times.

Ballard said: “It feels amazing to be here and I’m extremely happy. The fan base and size of this football club speaks for itself and having been up here to have a look around, it feels like an exciting place to be.

"Supporters can expect to see a player who loves defending and tackling – I’m more of a traditional centre half and I want to add those qualities to the team, whilst also bringing something a little extra. I’m now looking to take the next step forward in my career and I believe this is the perfect place to do it.”

Sunderland manager Alex Neil added: “First and foremost, Daniel will add competition. Callum Doyle’s loan deal ended in May and Arby Xhemajli left the club, so we wanted to add in that area and Daniel fits into our structure of being a young, up and coming player who also has Championship experience.

"He fits the bill and he also knows what it takes to win, sampling success with Blackpool in the play-offs before having a year under his belt [in the second tier] with Millwall last season. We are really pleased to get this deal over the line.”