19 December 2023 , 11:22
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Granit Xhaka feels he has mellowed significantly since joining Bayer Leverkusen from Arsenal in the summer.
The Swiss midfielder, 31, was an influential figure in the Gunners' title bid last season and his departure from the Emirates took many people by surprise. Xhaka, who had been at the club for seven years, subsequently signed a five-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit.
Xhaka's time at Arsenal was full of ups and downs and he endured a tumultuous relationship with the fanbase before salvaging his career under the stewardship of Mikel Arteta.
After years of being labelled as a hot-headed figure, Xhaka is now leading by example for a Leverkusen side who are yet to lose in the Bundesliga this season and above champions Bayern Munich in the standings.
And while he chose not to comment on suggestions he is now playing the best football of his career, Xhaka did admit that his mindset has drastically altered during an interview with The Athletic.
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Xhaka said: “I’m different. My mentality is completely different. I’m much calmer. Much, much calmer. There’s much more clarity and deliberation in my game. I know when to push and I know when to fall back, I know when to speed up the game and when to slow it down.
“When I was younger, there were many yellow and red cards, it was the same at the beginning in England. Experience teaches you that you don’t always have to go for the risky tackle. You can keep running with the player, you don’t have to go down all the time. I’ve made a huge step forward in the way I approach games.”
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Xhaka has been influential in a Bayer Leverkusen side that has yet to taste defeat in the Bundesliga this season (Lars Baron)Xhaka was stripped of the club captaincy back in 2016 shortly after reacting angrily as he was booed off the pitch during a Premier League match against Crystal Palace. He saw no way back and was ready to leave until he was persuaded to stay by Arteta.
Prior to his switch, it was outlined that Xhaka was looking forward to playing as a No.6 at Leverkusen as their "head of operations" - a very different role from the one he was given by Arteta at Arsenal. Despite Xhaka's preference for such a role, it is unlikely that Arteta would have agreed to use him as a No.6, with the Spaniard preferring him in the No.8 position.
Despite that disagreement, Xhaka spoke glowingly of Arteta and credited him for helping him to salvage his Arsenal career. “I could not imagine myself playing for Arsenal again,” Xhaka continued.
“I said to him, ‘I just want to be somewhere where the fans don’t boo me’. But he was so convincing. For the first time in my life, I took a decision without talking to my family first. I got up and said, ‘OK, I’ll stay’. We embraced and, from that day on, I returned to training and it was like nothing ever happened.”
In total, Xhaka made 297 appearances for Arsenal, winning the FA Cup twice. He enjoyed his best ever season last year as the Gunners ran Manchester City close for the title, registering nine goals and seven assists in all competitions.