Xhaka rewrites his destiny at the age of 33

Xhaka has been hailed as the “signing of the season”.

Sunderland are not the team that anyone would expect to make a surprise in the Premier League. But with Granit Xhaka, the boundaries are suddenly blurred. At 33, the Swiss midfielder is playing the most mature football of his career, both calm and fiery.

Ten years ago, Xhaka was a standout talent at Gladbach. Seven years ago, he was booed and stripped of the captaincy by Arsenal fans for mockingly applauding them. Now he is hailed as a beacon of inspiration and a symbol of professionalism at a newly promoted club. Football rarely gives anyone a second chance. But Xhaka has turned it into a remarkable rebirth.

Moving to Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen for £13 million, Xhaka did not come to enjoy his twilight years. He came to be a leader. Coach Regis Le Bris had a young, inexperienced squad and needed a “brain” who could control the rhythm. Xhaka provided just that: a fulcrum, a rhythm-setter, a spiritual leader.

After just 10 games, his influence is clear. Three assists, a goal, a host of impressive stats: top 20 for passes, balls into the box and ball recoveries. Xhaka creates more chances from set pieces than most Premier League midfielders. And most importantly, he helps Sunderland play as a team with order and control.

Xhaka is the leader of Sunderland.

His strike against Everton in the early hours of November 4, a delicate long-range strike that secured a point for Sunderland, was not only his first Premier League goal since 2023. It was a symbolic moment: Sunderland, once struggling in the Championship, were now in the top four; and Xhaka, once abandoned by Arsenal, was celebrated by the whole of England.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called him “the signing of the season”. Former Manchester United star Jonny Evans put it more simply: “He’s the only one in the team that everyone trusts”. In the dressing room, Xhaka doesn’t need to say much. He shows it through his actions, always the first to arrive on the pitch, always the last to leave.

At Arsenal, Xhaka was a symbol of hot-headedness. At Sunderland, he is a symbol of calm. No more arguments, no more stupid red cards. Just a man who has been through enough fights to know what balance is.

“I want young players to understand that football is real life, not social media,” he said. “Don’t let what’s on the internet make you forget yourself.”

If Sunderland can finish in the top 10, or even just stay up, Granit Xhaka's name will still be etched in their memories.

Perhaps it is this experience that makes Xhaka respected. Sunderland has many new players, many faces not yet accustomed to the pressure of the Premier League. They look at Xhaka, who was once cursed, who once lost everything, and see in him proof that if you keep the faith, football always has a way to repay.

From Arsenal to Leverkusen, from failure to glory, from hated to loved, Xhaka’s journey is a testament to the power of perseverance. He was once labelled a “villain”, but now, people see only a calm, inspirational leader.

In a Premier League filled with young stars, Xhaka is no longer a man who races with speed. He runs with experience, with intelligence, with the rhythm of someone who has stood on the edge and knows how to come back.

If Sunderland can finish in the top 10, or even just stay up, Granit Xhaka’s name will be etched in their memory. Not as a “signing of the season”, but as a man who found himself, in the most unlikely of places.

Source: https://znews.vn/xhaka-viet-lai-so-phan-o-tuoi-33-post1599734.html