Granit Xhaka says he is a “football freak” and admits he has been stunned by the atmospheres inside Premier League stadiums since joining Arsenal.
The midfielder swapped Borussia Monchengladbach for the Gunners over the summer in a big-money move and has been a huge hit with fans since joining the club.
Xhaka says he watched plenty of English __football prior to his move and admits he is delighted to have made the switch to the Premier League.
“I’m a __football freak. I’ll watch the Premier League, the Championship, League One, plus Serie A, the Bundesliga and of course the Swiss Super League,” he told Arsenal Player. “At my house there’s often football on.
“I’ve watched a lot of Premier League in years gone by and you can see here that the people live for football.
“The atmosphere in the stadiums is unbelievable and it’s really fun to play here. The pitches are cut really well and I’m pleased that I’ve taken this step.”
Xhaka also took time out to compare the Premier League to life in Germany and says it is a much tougher division to play in.
“Physically the English league is much harder then the Bundesliga,” he added.
“The tempo is higher and there’s lots of pressure, especially here at Arsenal, where there’s a lot more expectation than at Monchengladbach.
“But technically and tactically, I think the Bundesliga is on the same level as the Premier League.”
Gunners fans have quickly taken Xhaka to their heart thanks to a couple of stunning strikes and will be delighted to hear he is thriving at the Emirates.