By Kevin Phillips

23rd Jan, 2022 | 10:40am

Phillips salutes 'brilliant' Batth after Sunderland debut reveal

Kevin Phillips has heaped praise on the “brilliant” Danny Batth after the defender impressed on his Sunderland debut.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the Stadium of Light legend tipped the 31-year-old to “thrive” in League One given his wealth of experience.

On Tuesday (18 January), the Black Cats announced the signing of Batth on an 18-month deal from Stoke City.

The centre half made his debut on Saturday in a 1-0 win over Portsmouth and contributed 11 headers, five clearances, three interceptions and one tackle. [Phil Smith]

Speaking to club media (22 January), Lee Johnson claimed Batth brought an “aura” and “a presence” to Sunderland’s backline.

When asked by Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs for his thoughts on Batth’s arrival, Phillips said: “On his day, Danny is a brilliant defender.

“He is a good, solid player who has experience in the Premier League and the Championship. You would like to think that he will thrive in League One as he will not be facing the quality of opponents he has previously.

`’I’m not surprised that he’s done well in his first game. I was delighted to hear it when he signed. I think it could turn out to be a shrewd bit of business.

“Sunderland have three big lads at the back in Batth, [Callum] Doyle and [Tom] Flanagan. They’re all very dominant.

“I think Sunderland will be a strong outfit from now until the end of the season.”

In other news, Jermain Defoe has been tipped to ‘cement his legacy’ at Sunderland after after ‘great’ Sky transfer update.