Granit Xhaka has said that the criticism he receives in England doesn’t bother him at all before highlighting a little bit that does.

The Swiss midfielder arrived in the summer with an unfair reputation and officials, especially Jon Moss, seem to have done everything they can to cement it.

Those who criticise his performances tend to be those who don’t watch him regularly. If they were paying attention they would see a stylish player who strokes the ball around the pitch as well as anyone in the side.

His temperament? There’s no issue there. Look at a lot of the cards he’s got this season. How many of them would have been given to others? He might have two Jon Moss reds to his name, but he also has just three yellow cards in the Premier League this season. Three. In 21 games.

In an interview with Blick, Xhaka was asked how he deals with the criticism. “That does not bother me,” he replied. “I do not mind so quickly, I cannot destroy anyone. 

“What annoys me is people who call me dirty, dumb, and brainless. You don’t not sy such thinks about someone you don’t know.”

And, reiterating what he said before, he has no plans to change his ‘aggressiveness’. ”This is my game. If I take it away, I am no longer the same.

“I’ve analysed my position exactly. It is true that many fouls have taken place behind the centre line, which means 60 to 70 meters away from my own goal. That’s too far away. That has to stop. 

“But I do not go to the square and pull my foot back before the two-fights.”

He also admitted that he thought the Premier League was ‘played harder’ than elsewhere but found out when he arrived that is not the case.  “It is similar to the Bundesliga,” he said.