Wayne Rooney blown away by Sunderland player – delivers huge Premier League claim after Arsenal game

Wayne Rooney has hailed Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka as “probably the signing of the season” after the midfielder’s transformative impact on Wearside.

Sunderland’s return to the Premier League has exceeded every early expectation. Régis Le Bris’ side sit fourth after 11 games, collecting 19 points and looking every inch a team capable of achieving far more than simply surviving. At the heart of that resurgence has been Xhaka, whose experience, consistency and professionalism have become defining features of Sunderland’s new identity.

The 33-year-old arrived from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer for an initial £13million and has played every minute in the league so far, contributing one goal and three assists. Beyond the headline numbers, he leads Sunderland in almost every major metric: assists, chances created, touches, successful passes, duels won, possession regains and distance covered. His influence has been both technical and emotional – anchoring a young squad and helping to raise the standards across the dressing room.

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, the former England captain highlighted just how impressed he has been with Xhaka’s return to English football. Rooney said: "Coming back to the Premier League, you wonder if he can do it. Obviously, with a promoted team as well coming up, what impact could he have? But he's probably been the signing of the season. He has been brilliant."

Xhaka’s time at Arsenal was defined by highs and lows – 297 appearances, two FA Cups and a turbulent spell as captain that included his clash with supporters and subsequent removal of the armband. Yet under Mikel Arteta he rebuilt his reputation, becoming one of Arsenal’s most reliable performers before joining Leverkusen and helping them towards a historic Bundesliga title.

Rooney believes that journey, and the resilience it required, is precisely why he has taken to life at Sunderland so seamlessly. "When he had the situation with Arsenal, when he fell out with the fans, it showed his character to go and play for Arsenal again," Rooney added. "To get through that and then go and perform for Arsenal, and then at Leverkusen to be part of a team to beat Bayern Munich to the title for the first time in over 10 years has shown what a good player he is."

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Rooney also highlighted Xhaka’s wider influence on Le Bris’ youthful squad, describing him as a vital presence behind the scenes as well as on the pitch. "Sunderland have got a very young squad as well. He'd almost be like a father figure, and he'll be a big help for the coach as well to be the in-between man as captain. And they made a lot of signings in the summer, he'll be a massive help for the manager and with them players, for sure, using his experience."

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