Hume gained senior experience at the Blues and Ballymena United before joining the Black Cats in 2022, going on to help them seal promotion from League One to the Championship and now into England’s top-tier ahead of next season. The Northern Ireland international had been subject to interest from clubs across England and Europe with German outfit Wolfsburg reportedly offering £10million for his services, but Hume signed a new long-term contract until 2030 on Wednesday. Linfield are understood to have negotiated a 15% sell-on clause, which meant they were in line for a bumper payday if the 23-year-old had decided to move. Healy handed Hume his senior Blues debut in April 2019 before he enjoyed a season-long loan at hometown club Ballymena under another legendary Irish League manager, David Jeffrey. Hume has taken his game to another level in recent years and Healy, who made 13 Premier League appearances for Sunderland, believes he has the attributes required to thrive amongst England’s elite. "Trai is a wonderfully talented, gifted player,” said Healy. “His improvement...we thought he was brilliant around this football club and I know the Sunderland fans think so much of Trai and the potential he still has. "Getting promoted this year will help build his profile a bit more, he has been captain of Northern Ireland – it shows how highly-rated you are when you’ve only been in a few years from the manager, players and peers around you. "First and foremost for the Linfield academy and everything else, but I think he’s a wonderful advertisement for young players who play in our league and will eventually, if they are patient enough, be given an opportunity to play for a brilliant club the size of Sunderland and thrive in that environment. "Whatever happens with Trai, we wish him and Sunderland well in the Premier League and hopefully he smashes it, which he will do.”