‘I want to be better than Bally!’ George Honeyman outlines bold Sunderland captaincy ambitions

Sunderland captain George Honeyman was the latest guest on the Roker Rapport podcast - which will be available later this evening, with details how to listen below - and during the podcast he discussed his rise from reserve team player to club captain.

Honeyman said that although his rise through the ranks happened rapidly, it’s not something that has phased him at all but he does realise how big an achievement it is:

The rise of reserve team player to club captain has been pretty quick but I don’t feel phased by it at all. I feel immensely proud, if I think how I felt scoring my first goal for Sunderland to now being made club captain, it’s just amazing!

Especially when I walk around the building and I have spent more than half my life in the training ground, I’m really appreciative of the people that have helped me get here through the academy, the lucky people that I’ve worked with at the club and that will never leave me.

Whatever happens, it is an amazing achievement.

The 24-year-old does not just want to settle for being club captain however, he has his sights set on being the best club captain in the history of the club, something he has made clear to his mentor Kevin Ball:

I don’t just want to be a club captain for Sunderland, I’ve got motivations to try and be the best club captain for Sunderland.

It probably might never happen but I am always one of those where you aim for the stars and if you don’t reach them then you will still have done alright.

I’m very lucky that I have had Bally as my youth team and reserve team coach, one of, if not the best, club captains. So I’ve got a very lucky mentor in that role and I want to be better than him!

He knows that, I’ve told him that to his face. It’s not a dig against him and it’s not a dig against any other club captain but when you’re lucky enough to be captain of a club like Sunderland, you want to leave your mark on it.

That is just a taster of the Roker Rapport podcast with club captain George Honeyman but you will be able to listen to the entire interview available later this evening.

To do so, subscribe to iTunes, Acast, Spotify and Youtube by clicking the relevant links or alternatively just type ‘Roker Rapport’ into your nearest search engine - easy.

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