What Can Dan Neil Learn From Granit Xhaka Now He’s Staying?

Dan Neil and Dennis Cirkin were two uncertainties heading into the summer, with their futures seemingly hanging on promotion to the Premier League.

In February, Kristjaan Speakman addressed the doubts lingering over Sunderland’s captain, although he did little to dispel the speculation surrounding his future, claiming that his captain was ‘zoned in’ on the key games ahead.

Neil, as well as Anthony Patterson, Chris Rigg, and Tommy Watson, were the academy graduates to represent the Black Cats in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, in what became the greatest day of recent memory.

However, given the arrival of Sunderland’s new leader, Granit Xhaka, and the silence over the 23-year-old’s future, it seemed that our beloved Neil could be off before he had the chance to kick a Premier League football.

Much to the joy of the majority of our fanbase, it appears that Neil is to remain on Wearside and fight for his place like a true leader. What makes his probable stay even more meaningful is that he has reportedly rejected Premier League and La Liga approaches to fulfill his dream of playing for his hometown club in the top flight.

Given that Neil has less than a year remaining on his contract, it does make you wonder if he will sign a fresh contract on Wearside, and I, for one, hope that he does.

While the midfielder has shown plenty of promise in the Championship, there are bound to be doubts over his Premier League ability, but we will only find out what he can do when he is given the chance.

Of course, there is the obstacle of Xhaka, but when you look at the situation closely, the arrival of the 16th-best player in the world should instead be viewed as a liberation.

Xhaka, who is almost a decade older than Neil, boasts experiences that professional footballers crave. From captaining his country to lifting the Bundesliga title with a club not called Bayern Munich, he has experienced success at the highest level.

Switzerland’s leader has suffered hardships during his career, from being booed by his own ‘supporters’ to being slammed by pundits; he has built a mental toughness that Neil can only benefit from.

Neil, too, has had his doubters, and he spoke publicly about his uninspiring performances at the start of last season, when the armband bore heavily on him. Indeed, he has already shown maturity and an honesty that any club should cherish.

If Neil starts on the bench, then it will certainly be a blow to the man who cheered his team on as a boy in the 2014 Carabao Cup final. However, his time will come, and with Xhaka by his side, he can make his mark at the top table.