Player profile: Does Daniel Ballard have what it takes to star for Arsenal?

 

Daniel Ballard


Player profile: Does Daniel Ballard have what it takes to star for Arsenal?

By Jonny Bray

Daniel Ballard has had a really impressive first half of the season on loan at Millwall.

Despite recently suffering a knee injury that will keep him out until March, the 22-year-old has been crucial for the Lions, who are currently 12th in the Championship.

Their form took a turn for the worse after he suffered the injury, and after another successful year on loan, the defender is starting to show that he could have a future at the Emirates.

But he still has plenty of time left at the New Den once he recovers from injury, with promotion via the play-offs.

Here’s all you need to know about Arsenal’s centre-back.

Life before Millwall

Ballard is a Gunner through and through, having joined the club’s academy at the age of eight.

Like so many stars have before, he came through the system and signed his first professional contract back in June 2018.

The move to Millwall wasn’t the first loan of his career.

The defender had a difficult time at Swindon, where a knee injury hampered his progress before taking like a duck to water in Blackpool.

He had an impressive 2020/21 season with the Tangerines, setting him up to graduate from League One and begin his time with Millwall.

Millwall loan

It’s often underestimated how big a step it is between League One and the Championship.

However, Ballard made it look easy, playing in 19 of the Lions’ 22 games so far this season and scoring one goal.

He’s quickly earned the plaudits of Millwall fans and pundits alike, and there’s no doubt he will be missed in the months ahead.

Annoyingly, Arsenal fans would have had the perfect opportunity to watch him in Millwall’s televised game against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup in January were it now for his untimely injury.

Daniel Ballard

What he would bring?

The youngster is already a Northern Ireland international and has also proven to be incredibly competent in possession.

For a 22-year-old, he’s deceptively strong and aggressive in the tackle, and it’s clear that playing in the Championship has suited him.

He’s also shown that he’s got great defensive awareness and is capable of sniffing out danger at a moment’s notice.

The only real downside to his game is that his lack of genuine pace means that he may struggle to adapt to the speed of the Premier League.

If his performances in the Championship are anything to go by, though, he has the footballing intelligence and speed of mind to get over this setback.

Does he have a future at Arsenal?

Whether or not Ballard has a long-term future at The Emirates remains to be seen.

He’s impressed this season, though, and has definitely gone further than many had expected him to.

Once he recovers from injury, he has a real opportunity to show that, at the very least, he could provide some top-quality cover for Ben White and Gabriel.

But even if he doesn’t make it at Arsenal, he’s certainly proven that he has the talent to make a career out of playing football at the highest level.

At the end of the day, that is what the academy is all about.

Image credit: Getty Images

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