Mikel Arteta has said his former player and current Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka made him a better coach.
Xhaka returned to the Premier League this summer after joining Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen as part of a deal worth an initial £13million.
The midfielder was immediately made captain of the Black Cats and he has been one of their star performers.
The midfielder had a turbulent time in north London and was stripped of the captaincy midway through his stint there.
Xhaka, however, left on good terms and is expected to get a good reception from the travelling Arsenal fans.
He will now face his former side on Saturday in the Premier League.
“I loved every minute that we spent together,” said Arteta (via The Standard).
“When I joined, he was in a special moment of his life and his career, and between all of us, we tried to guide him, to give him a different perspective, to make him feel loved, valued, and he responded in an incredible way.
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“He made me a better coach, he helped us to develop and improve a lot as a football team and as a club, and I will be eternally grateful because I have great memories with him.
“We extended his contract and when he came in and explained the reasons [that he wanted to leave], you have to understand the human being, you have to be grateful.
“It was a unique opportunity for him to come back to his country, to his family and there were certain things that he wanted to experience as well and I believe it was the right moment.
“He was very honest as he is very straightforward as he always is and we’ll find a way to find a good solution for all of us.”
