Jack Clarke isn't Sunderland's best player so far this season - it's actually this underrated defender

Watching Jack Clarke in a Sunderland shirt is a little like owning a baby chimpanzee; it's all fun and games for now, but deep down inside you know it's only a matter of time before his antics become too much of a handful to ignore and some wealthy zoo tycoon or other comes along to take him away on the promise of a better life in a state of the art synthetic habitat specifically designed to facilitate and encourage his natural development. Premier League wingers should, after all, be allowed to roam freely, not confined to the cage of Championship football.

And when he does go, his puzzled face pressed against the back window of a specially-adapted footballer transportation vehicle, the Black Cats will choke back a sob, wave glumly, and wonder how the hell they are supposed to replace such a constitutive presence in their dressing room. So far this season, Clarke has registered nine goals and an assist in 17 Championship outings at a rate of one strike every 166 minutes. Nobody in the division has recorded more progressive carries with the ball this term, and nobody has received more progressive passes either. He is, in short, Sunderland's outlet - a wispy, wiry lighthouse who anchors their every attacking intent.

You could argue that he has been the Black Cats' best player this season and few would argue; you could also argue that he has been the Championship's best player this season and not many more would disagree. But by no means is he the only Sunderland starlet yanking up trees at the present moment in time.

Trai Hume, by most metrics, has been a revelation since he arrived on Wearside. The Northern Irish defender, a moustachioed black market vendor of flawless reducers, came crashing into the starting XI through necessity more than overt readiness last year, and has subsequently never left. Old school without being anachronistic, versatile without being pigeon-holed in the limbo of a career utility man, the 21-year-old has exhibited remarkable poise and wherewithal for one so young, as well as the kind of cunning value for money that might give Ebenezer Scrooge heart palpitations.

And while he may never catch the eye in a manner akin to Jack Clarke, the defender is quietly and ferociously establishing himself as one of the best prospects in his position anywhere in the country. (If you don't believe me, believe the number-crunchers in their dazzling white lab coats.)

According to the people who get paid to document such things, Hume is currently in the 92nd percentile of the Championship when it comes to tackles made per 90 minutes; focus in on the middle third of the pitch and that rises to the 95th percentile, and he also ranks in the top 14% of the division with regards to tackles in his own defensive third too.

But really, that is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether it's dribbles tackled (91st percentile), shots blocked (86th percentile), interceptions (86th percentile), tackles and interceptions combined (92nd percentile), or clearances (95th percentile), there is barely a defensive aspect in which Hume doesn't excel.

Even in possession, he is a stellar talent. In terms of passes completed, the Northern Irishman ranks in the 93rd percentile, with his pass completion sitting at the exact same level. Hone in on his short passing alone, and that success rate spikes to the 96th percentile. Factor in that Hume is in the bottom 10% for errors made, and you begin to get a clearer picture of just how well-rounded and reliable he is.

Again, a full-back who bounces around the place like a ricocheting bullet and devours opposition shins like complimentary breadsticks at a reasonably-priced Italian restaurant is never going to garner the same kind of acclaim that the likes of a Jack Clarke will, but make no mistake, when discussing Sunderland's best players, Hume absolutely deserves to be in and around that conversation.