Xhaka keen to make himself heard

He has been making an instant impression on the field with his workmanlike performances for Arsenal but now midfielder Granit Xhaka is desperate to make himself understood off the pitch as well.

Xhaka was a substitute in Arsenal’s first game of the season against Liverpool before impressing in the 0-0 draw against Leicester last weekend.

The Switzerland midfielder has quickly settled into north London life since joining from Borussia Monchengladbach but, despite understanding English, he is still getting to grips with some aspects of the language.

Manager Arsene Wenger insists on all of his players learning and communicating in English, where possible, as he believes it makes for a more cohesive unit on matchday.

And Xhaka, who is taking weekly English lessons, is determined to learn the lingo so he can interact with his new team-mates and improve his performances in the process.

(David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“I am not the kind of guy who speaks English perfectly, but I can talk to people well enough,” Xhaka said.

“Interviews are the only little problem. But I go to language school once a week and learn some English there to help me with interviews and also with my personal life.

“What I can tell is that people here speak very differently to what we learned in school! Still, I don’t have too much trouble understanding people but I have difficulty answering in English.

“Many players have offered me help in case I need something. They told me to be open and frank, and I have been very well received. It is very important for me to feel that the players are on my side.

“Maybe about one or two days before I flew here, I had a chat with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He told me that if I needed something, I should just shout. But he was not the only one.”