Published: 02:00, 7 November 2025 | Updated: 02:00, 7 November 2025

First impressions: they have always mattered to Granit Xhaka, right through his life and certainly during the years he has spent in the Premier League.

He knew, for instance, that he had to be true to himself when arriving at Arsenal in 2016. During his first few days, which coincided with the club's pre-season tour to America's West Coast, Xhaka was introduced to the daunting ritual of singing for his new team-mates.

With a limited command of English, Xhaka decided to sing a traditional Albanian song. Nobody in the room understood what he was belting out – he knew that would be the case – but Xhaka did it with such gusto and passion, in a hotel in San Jose, that his new team-mates were quickly on board. They loved his character and welcomed him with open arms.

Xhaka was 23 then, burning with ambition. He's 33 now but the desire to get things right with new colleagues was such that when he strode purposefully into the Academy Of Light in July, the...