Former Sunderland striker Marco Gabbiadini spoke to BBC Radio Newcastle about Granit Xhaka’s development as the club’s captain: “He exemplifies a top professional.
“When he was an Arsenal player at times you felt like he was a bit of a villain. Over the years we have seen him mature and develop.
“We’ve seen a slightly more restrained version of Xhaka, but it’s actually better than the fully committed, blowing steam out of his ears sort of player that we saw at Arsenal.
“He’s a little bit more measured, calmer and a better professional. To have that in your squad especially when you’ve got a young squad, and everyone believes in him, he’s a talisman.
“We need to wrap him in cotton wool and keep him going for 38 games.”