Xhaka reflects on his Sunderland debut and shares rallying message with fans on Instagram after Betis loss
Granit Xhaka has issued a passionate message to Sunderland fans following his debut for the club against Real Betis on Saturday afternoon.
The Switzerland international was handed the captain’s armband by Régis Le Bris for the friendly clash at the Stadium of Light, marking his first appearance in red and white since completing a £17million move from Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer.
Despite the 1-0 defeat, Xhaka appeared focused and motivated in his post-match Instagram post, sharing a picture of himself in full Sunderland kit with a message of determination for the season ahead. “Grateful for my debut! 🙏⚽️ This is just the beginning — we will work hard, stay focused, and reach our goals together. Let’s go! 🔥” he wrote.
The 32-year-old was one of three players to make their Sunderland debuts against Betis, alongside fellow summer arrivals Reinildo and Robin Roefs. Xhaka started in midfield and showed early signs of leadership and organisation, with Le Bris keen to integrate his experience into a young Premier League squad.
The former Arsenal captain arrives on Wearside after a title-winning campaign with Leverkusen and has already been identified as a key figure both on and off the pitch. Speaking after his signing, Xhaka said he felt an “instant connection” with the club’s energy and project.
Saturday’s appearance also suggested that he may be in line to retain the captaincy going forward, with long-term skipper Dan Neil down the pecking order and Luke O’Nien sidelined through injury and expected to miss the opening games of the Premier League season.
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Xhaka’s message, which received over 30,000 likes in under an hour, was quickly endorsed by Sunderland AFC’s official account, which replied with two heart emojis. With just two friendlies remaining before Sunderland’s Premier League opener against West Ham United, Xhaka’s leadership and experience could prove vital as Le Bris continues shaping his side for top-flight survival.
Régis Le Bris delivers verdict on Sunderland's pre-season form
Sunderland have not win since their first pre-season fixture against South Shields, but Le Bris insists he is pleased with the progress of his team. "I'm not too worried, we lost the last five games of the Championship season but we understood why," Le Bris said.
Le Bris added after the game to the media at the Stadium of Light: "It's not the same scenario but we are building a new squad, the quality is clear so it's just a question of adding new building blocks. We can feel the energy is different."
Xhaka delivered an excellent performance at the base of midfield and Le Bris confirmed that he is likely to be captain for the upcoming campaign.
Le Bris said: "We need maturity, level, consistency, experience - he brings everything. You can feel that for the others around him, it makes their life easier. For the Premier League it really helps to have two, three lads like that. He will probably be captain, yes."
Le Bris also praised goalkeeper Robin Roefs, who delivered a solid performance. Le Bris said: "Robin has this quality, he has composure on the ball. He's a good goalkeeper, he looked very good this afternoon."
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