Granit Xhaka has been tasked with leading the Sunderland dressing room after recently joining the newly promoted Premier League club.
Two days before The Black Cats' opening league game against West Ham United at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland have officially announced that Xhaka will be the club captain.
The midfielder completed a shock £17m move from Bayer Leverkusen to the North East of England last month and appears to have already earned the trust of manager Regis Le Bris and his teammates.
Granit Xhaka, the new captain of Sunderland AFC! ❤️🫡
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) August 14, 2025
Xhaka knows the responsibility of wearing the captain's armband as he currently holds the Switzerland national team captaincy.
Also, at previous clubs; Borussia Monchengladbach, Arsenal and Leverkusen, the player led his teammates out during multiple matches.
With an impressive 137 international caps and having spent over a decade playing in Europe's biggest leagues, the 32-year-old seems the appropriate choice to lead a Sunderland side mostly comprised of players with no Premier League experience.
Furthermore, Le Bris's squad is filled with young players, so it makes having a player with strong leadership such as Xhaka a great captain choice.
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Xhaka and Le Bris speak on the captaincy announcement
Xhaka touched on the decision to be named Sunderland skipper ahead of the 2024/25 season.
"It makes me incredibly proud to be captain of this club and of this team. I hope to show my leadership on and off the pitch, helping my team-mates in the training ground and across the club," the midfielder told Sunderland's official channels.
The midfielder then hinted at what sort of captain he would be for his new side.
"People who know me know exactly what they’ll get, I’m someone who demands a lot. I’m a winner and I want to win – and I expect the same from my team-mates."
Le Bris spoke on the decision to name the Swiss player as skipper so quickly after joining.
"In the Premier League, it will be important to have consistency, maturity, and experience. Granit brings all these qualities. His behaviour so far has been very impressive, and on the field, you can see that his level is high," the Sunderland boss explained.
The Frenchman then alluded to his new captain being just one of the individuals tasked with playing a key leadership role in The Black Cats' dressing room this coming season.
"Granit’s role will also form part of a new leadership team, which will be finalised following the end of the summer transfer window."