Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka has opened up on his decision to join the Black Cats this summer, and has spoken of the instant affinity that he felt with the club, the region, and the fanbase.

The Swiss international raised eyebrows across the footballing world when he left German giants Bayer Leverkusen for the Stadium of Light in a deal worth around £17.3 million, but has already caught the eye with a series of impressive performances, both in pre-season and in last weekend’s Premier League curtain-raiser against West Ham.

 

And while many have questioned the logic behind a player of Xhaka’s calibre joining a newly promoted club, the player himself has insisted that he is in no doubt whatsoever that he has made the right choice by moving to Wearside.

What has Granit Xhaka said about his transfer to Sunderland?

In a new, wide-ranging interview with continental outlet Blick, Xhaka opened up on his transfer to Sunderland, citing the immense passion of the club’s fanbase as a factor that he feels really vindicates his decision.

He said: “Here, they live, breathe, and suffer for the sport. This passion is genuine… I will never regret this decision, no matter what happens.” Xhaka also added that he feels he is gaining “experiences for life”.

The 32-year-old went on to describe the whirlwind process – and the key role played by Black Cats owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus – that convinced him a move to Sunderland was the best choice for him as he heads into the next chapter of his career.

He explained: “At 11pm, a Swiss number lit up on my phone. I was on my way to bed, the children were already asleep: ‘Hello, this is Kyril. I’m the owner of Sunderland.’ I went along with the game because I thought someone was playing a prank on me. My agent, José Noguera, was in America at the time – with the time difference. I gave Kyril my agent’s number. The conversation was clear, but brief. Ten minutes later, José contacted me via FaceTime, along with the sporting director and Kyril. Then I realized: Things were getting serious.”

When asked how he felt in the aftermath of that conversation with Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman, he responded: “You have to do this, Granit! The club is coming from a situation that reminded me of my parents’ beginnings – from scratch. And I feel that this experience here will give me the most for my future.”

He continued: “This club did everything, absolutely everything to bring me back to England. When a club makes you feel that way, it would be almost rude not to consider it. I was so touched by the people in charge. I couldn’t say no.”

Focusing his attention on head coach Regis Le Bris, Xhaka said: “For me, he’s a Monsieur à la Arsene Wenger. A very calm personality, a relaxed, very matter-of-fact person. What he says makes sense. Regis is a remarkably thoughtful coach. The way he managed the many personnel changes in such a short time: hats off to him!”

The veteran campaigner also took a moment to hail the atmosphere in the Stadium of Light during Saturday’s 3-0 victory over West Ham. He added: “I’ve played in many stadiums during my career, but honestly, the atmosphere at my first home game with Sunderland was one of the best I’ve ever experienced. The euphoria among the fans and the whole club was huge.

“It gave me goosebumps, it was just absolutely amazing. I was gripped by the atmosphere; for me, it was one of the top three moments of my career, everything was buzzing.”

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