Sunderland's Granit Xhaka(Image: Getty Images)

Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor has revealed to the French press that club captain Granit Xhaka’s relentless mentality is driving the Black Cats' standards across the board.

The forward, who scored in his first three home games of the new season, has hailed Xhaka’s impact since the Swiss midfielder’s arrival at Sunderland with standards being driven up by his sheer competitiveness.

Speaking about Sunderland’s strong start to Premier League life, Isidor praised the mentality brought by the former Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen captain, who joined Régis Le Bris’ side this summer.

Xhaka is used to success having won a host of honours in Germany prior to his shock move to Wearside. That is rubbing off on the rest of the squad.

“We really believe in our qualities,” Isidor said to the media in France. “We’re still a promoted team, but you have to look at the quality of our new signings. Granit Xhaka, for example, has been nothing but winning for two years with Leverkusen.”

Isidor explained how Xhaka’s influence has been felt most on the training ground, particularly among...