A Sunderland star has earned major praise from a former international team-mate ahead of this summer's World Cup finals.

A Sunderland star has been described as the greatest player in his country’s history as he puts the finishing touches to his preparations for the World Cup finals.

11 Black Cats stars will feature in this summer’s finals - but few have made a bigger impact on and off the pitch at the Stadium of Light than midfielder Granit Xhaka. There was some surprise when Sunderland made a move to sign the former Arsenal midfielder from Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen last summer as he became one of a whole host of new signings as Regis Le Bris’ side prepared for the Black Cats’ first season back in the Premier League.

From the first minute of the campaign, there was little doubt the signing of Xhaka was a shrewd one as the Switzerland international provided the guidance, leadership and nous required within any newly-promoted side. Xhaka’s influence was integral in one of the most memorable seasons in Sunderland’s recent history as Le Bris’ men surpassed all expectations and qualified for European competition for only the second time in their history.

Xhaka is now preparing to captain Switzerland at the World Cup finals as they face Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina and co-hosts Canada in the group stage of the tournament - and one former international team-mate has lauded the midfielder and described it as ‘an honour’ to play alongside him.

Former Switzerland midfielder Blerim Dzemaili told Swiss outlet Blick: “I’ve often said that, for me, Breel Embolo is the most important player in this national team. Of course, no one can get past Granit. Granit is probably the greatest player of all time for us. For those who’ve played alongside him, it’s almost an honour. For those who watched him play, it was something sensational.”

“But for me, Breel Embolo is so important, because at that moment, and I remember very well the match against Scotland in the Euros, the moment the opposition takes Granit out of the game, we have few options. And what is the solution? A long ball to Breel. And 99 per cent of the time, the ball is definitely there. And that’s why with Breel, we have a very important player who allows us to play differently.”

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