Hume ready to take on greater leadership role with NI

Northern Ireland defender Trai Hume says he is fresh to return connected greater activity responsibilities if asked to measurement up by head Michael O'Neill.

Hume, 22, has won 13 caps for his state and has established himself arsenic a champion successful their defence.

With Manchester United's Jonny Evans having announced his status from world shot past week, Hume is prepared to look arsenic a caller leader for O'Neill's young squad.

"I’ll speak to him about. I wouldn’t mind because increasing up I captained younger property groups truthful possibly I person that successful me," he told BBC Sport NI.

"I want to thief younger players that are coming done and lead them.

"It’s going to beryllium different. When I first came successful location was Steven Davis, Jonny and Craig Cathcart, a batch of experience, truthful it is going to beryllium a large change."

Hume was nan taxable of aggravated speculation astir his nine early this summertime aft impressing for Championship broadside Sunderland since his move to nan Black Cats from Linfield successful 2022.

Despite rumours of a move away, Hume said that he was calm astir nan situation.

"I effort and not interest astir it [rumours], I fto my supplier woody pinch that and I interest astir my football," he commented.

"I’m really enjoying my shot astatine Sunderland and I’ve said that since I’ve been there, truthful I was conscionable focusing connected that."

Although a move didn't materialise this summer, Hume does still harbour ambitions of playing successful nan Premier League successful nan future.

"That’s a dream [to play successful nan Premier League] whether that is pinch Sunderland, which I dream it is, aliases if personification comes successful and buys me. Hopefully it will hap 1 time but I’m not successful immoderate rush."

Hume is excited for nan commencement of nan Nations League and a long-awaited return to Windsor Park connected Thursday arsenic Northern Ireland big Luxembourg successful their first location crippled since November.

O'Neill's broadside person won conscionable 1 of their 16 games successful nan competition, but Hume hopes caller affirmative results tin thief them commencement nan run disconnected pinch a win.

"We're going to effort triumph each game. I deliberation we showed that against Scotland and Romania especially, they were 2 friendlies, but we went location to win.

"Even against Spain, they are 1 of nan champion sides successful Europe arsenic they've shown but we did effort our champion to get a consequence and we're present to triumph games."