'Respect' – Nordi Mukiele sends classy Granit Xhaka message after Sunderland award confirmed
Granit Xhaka sent a team message after his Sunderland award win, with Nordi Mukiele also reacting
Nordi Mukiele sent a classy message to Granit Xhaka after the Sunderland captain was named the club’s men’s player of the season.
Sunderland celebrated a memorable 2025-26 campaign at the Beacon of Light on Wednesday evening, with players, staff, partners and supporters coming together for the club’s annual End of Season Awards.
Xhaka was presented with the men’s player of the season award after an outstanding first campaign on Wearside. The midfielder has played a key role at the heart of Régis Le Bris’ side following Sunderland’s return to the Premier League, bringing quality, leadership and experience to a young squad.
Mukiele, who has also been a major figure for Sunderland this season, posted a picture of Xhaka holding the award on Instagram and wrote: “Respect and is well deserved.” He also tagged Xhaka and added a red heart. Xhaka then posted his own message after collecting the award, sharing pictures from the evening and writing: “Success is always better when shared with the team.” He added red and white hearts, as well as his usual “GX34” hashtag.
The messages came after Sunderland confirmed Xhaka had won the award, sponsored by Hummel, following a campaign in which the Switzerland international helped the Black Cats secure their top-flight status in style. There were several other awards handed out on the night. Brian Brobbey’s dramatic derby winner at Newcastle United was voted the LiveScore Moment That Mattered.
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Chris Rigg’s first Premier League goal against Aston Villa won Goal of the Season. Robin Roefs was named Young Player of the Season after an excellent debut Premier League campaign, while Dan Ballard received the Foundation of Light Community Player of the Season award.
There was also recognition for Sunderland’s women’s team and academy. Emily Scarr was named Women’s Player of the Season, Katy Watson won Women’s Young Player of the Season, and Katie Kitching claimed Women’s Goal of the Season.
Finn Geragusian was named Under-21 Player of the Season, Finlay Holcroft won Under-18 Player of the Season, and Charlie Scorer collected the Junior Player of the Season award. Club historian Rob Mason also received the Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of his contribution to preserving and celebrating Sunderland’s history.