Granit Xhaka has revealed he decided to join Sunderland to experience 'suffering' ahead of a possible career as a manager.
The former Arsenal midfielder, 32, signed for the Black Cats in a £17million deal earlier this summer after winning the Bundesliga during his time at Bayer Leverkusen.
Such has Xhaka's impact been on Sunderland during his stint in the north east that manager Regis Le Bris handed the Austrian the captaincy ahead of the new season, despite him having never made a competitive appearance for the club.
And his tenure as skipper got off to a perfect start at the Stadium of Light on Saturday as Sunderland made their long-awaited return to the Premier League with a 3-0 win over West Ham.