Sunderland have returned to England following their pre-season training camp in France.
Sunderland’s Jan Kirchhoff in action with Everton’s Leighton Baines
Sunderland’s midfield enforcer Jan Kirchhoff has spoken to the club’s official website, discussing the Black Cats’ training camp in France, and opening up about his excitement at the prospect of facing German giants Borussia Dortmund on Friday night.
The 25-year-old has been a revelation at the Stadium of Light, since moving to Wearside from Bayern Munich in January of this year, and played a key role in Sunderland’s survival.
He spoke to safc.com regarding the positive impact of the Black Cats’ recent tour to France:
Sunderland’s Jan Kirchhoff in action with Newcastle’s Aleksandar Mitrovic
“It was really positive, and we got a good time to grow together and settle down with the new manager and to get his ideas about football into our training and our games. It was a successful time and we’ve done what we needed to do to get prepared for the new season.”
Kirchhoff made 15 league appearances for Sunderland last term, and his versatility could prove to be a real asset for Moyes over the upcoming Premier League campaign. The towering German is equally apt at playing both centre-back and holding midfield roles, and with the punishing nature of English football, this versatility could prove to be extremely useful for Sunderland over the course of the season.
Jan Kirchhoff in action for Sunderland
Kirchhoff went on to discuss his side’s upcoming friendly clash against Borussia Dortmund on Friday:
“It’s a tough test for sure. They will be really great team in Europe this season, so we’ve got a great test that will make us ready for the league.”
He went on to discuss how Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel influenced his career while at Mainz:
“He was a big part of my career, and maybe the main guy to bring me into professional football. It will be nice to see him again.”
Dortmund will be the ideal test for Sunderland before they travel to Manchester City for their Premier League opener on August 13th.
Sunderland’s Jan Kirchhoff has been a revelation since his move to Wearside
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