That is Xhaka’s second spell in England, having performed 297 instances for Arsenal from 2016 till 2023.
He then joined Bayer Leverkusen the place he gained the title underneath Xabi Alonso of their unbeaten home season in 2023-24.
Erik ten Hag, then the Leverkusen boss, insisted Xhaka wouldn’t be bought this summer season.
However the midfielder left for Sunderland, and Ten Hag was sacked a couple of weeks into the season.
“I did not count on to come back again after Germany however you by no means know the place you land,” stated Xhaka.
“To be again made me completely happy. I knew the venture to carry expertise and present the fellows day-to-day.
“It makes me completely happy to attain a purpose.”
Xhaka was a little bit of a pantomine villain – and typically a lot maligned – at Arsenal.
He was despatched off 5 instances for the Gunners and spent six weeks as captain in 2019, clashed along with his personal followers and was stripped of the armband.
However issues went higher underneath Mikel Arteta and he grew to become an necessary participant earlier than leaving in 2023 for Germany.
Carragher stated: “After what he went via at Arsenal, he confirmed nice character to come back again from that. The impression he has had, if he may be a part of a Sunderland workforce who finishes within the prime 10 – and even simply stays up – he will probably be remembered for a really very long time.”
Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini informed BBC Radio Newcastle: “He exemplifies a prime skilled.
“When he was an Arsenal participant at instances you felt like he was a little bit of a villain. Over time we now have seen him mature and develop.
“We have seen a barely extra restrained model of Xhaka, but it surely’s truly higher than the totally dedicated, blowing steam out of his ears form of participant that we noticed at Arsenal.
“He is just a little bit extra measured, calmer and a greater skilled. To have that in your squad particularly while you’ve bought a younger squad, and everybody believes in him, he is a talisman.
“We have to wrap him in cotton wool and hold him going for 38 video games.”
