Granit Xhaka has revealed the Tottenham legend who convinced him to join Sunderland.
The former Arsenal star joined the Black Cats for a reported fee of £17m last summer. Sunderland have returned to the Premier League this season after a long absence.
Support the TIME. Preserve the truth.
Professional journalism is in the public interest. Your support helps it remain independent and credible. Contribute too. 1 euro makes a difference.
Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support ContributeSunderland spent big on the experienced midfielder, who they signed from Bayer Leverkusen and immediately named him captain.
Xhaka is shining for Regis Le Brice's team. Sunderland are climbing higher and higher in the Premier League and can now aim for a place in Europe.
Xhaka, 33, has openly admitted he was considering ending his career in Germany. He had a multi-year contract with Bayer Leverkusen. But when Sunderland's offer was on the table, he wanted a new challenge. And after talks with his family, he turned to two players who have already moved to the "Stadium of Ligt" for advice.
One of them was Tottenham hero Jermain Defoe, who had a successful spell at Sunderland. Defoe also played for England and for teams such as Rangers, Portsmouth and Bournemouth.
The other player was Lorik Cana, who joined Sunderland in 2009.
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Xhaka explained: "I didn't expect to be back in the Premier League. But I made the decision very quickly. I spoke to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus (Sunderland owner). I spoke to Jermain Defoe and also to Lorik Cana, who comes from a similar background to me and has had a great time here at Sunderland."
Xhaka received good words for Sunderland from all sides.
"Kyril was open from the beginning. Then, when you start to see yourself coming to this football club, you ask the former players. And Jermain and Lorik spoke very well of the club and the fans. When I left Arsenal for Leverkusen, I signed a five-year contract. It was a long-term contract for a 30-year-old, because I thought I wanted to finish in Germany and then see what would happen in the future."
Xhaka said the decision involved many parties.
"After speaking to Sunderland I found myself sitting there with my family thinking: 'What are we going to do? It's not about me at this stage, it's about my wife, my children, my brother and my parents. It's important that we make the right decision as a group together. It was a great two seasons at Leverkusen, but I was confident. I wanted the next challenge. And that came with Sunderland in the Premier League. It's the biggest challenge of my career, both on and off the pitch. And I'm very happy that I decided to come here," Xhaka said. (The Sun)