Granit Xhaka’s Switzerland take on Portugal in their opening Group B World Cup qualifier on Tuesday evening.

Ahead of the game, the Arsenal new boy sat down with homeland publication Appenzeller Zeitung to talk about his first few months in London and a lot more…

We attempted a rough transcript with a helping hand from Google Translate. If you spot any mistakes then let us know.

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Granit, how did it feel to have your first meeting with Arsene Wenger, one of the great figures of the Premier League?

I felt pure excitement! I was really very nervous. He has an incredible way, an insane charisma. You look at him and know: ‘Wow, this man has achieved and experienced so much’. The respect for him is enormous.

How is the communication?

He’s not a coach who speaks to you every day. Wenger has spoken to me two or three times, he’s told me he’s very impressed by how I train and how I’m a disciplined character.

You’re part of a world class team in London? Did you feel nervous on your first day?

I have to admit that in the first few days there was an undeniable nervousness. You can see the players are world class just by the way they pass the ball. Ozil, Sanchez and Cazorla for example, are huge personalities.

Are you feeling confident around them?

Even though the club has spent more money on me, there’s still a great deal I can learn from them, in every respect. Things like their work ethic and ambition are impressive.

There’s a lot of competition for places in the squad…

You can’t afford to rest on your laurels at all or you’ll instantly be on the bench. Every training session, every sprint, every exercise must be done to the best your ability.

Are you experiencing another level of football in London?

Everything happens on a higher plain than it did at Borussia Moenchengladbach or FC Basel. You become aware of the global perception of Arsenal when you’re on the tour of the USA. Everywhere we went there were huge crowds waiting, the size of the club is unmistakable.

Arsenal is luxurious…

Arsenal prepares the players in the best way. They pay attention to every detail. Everything from flights, food and service is done to optimise recovery.

Are there things behind the scenes that have surprised you?

Every Monday we’re asked to undertake jump tests, to check the conditions of our muscles. There’s nothing you can hide. Once a week they do urine tests and your body fat percentage is tested regularly. The doctors cover all bases.

Arsenal are much more in the public eye. Their performances are watched around the globe. Are you aware more than ever at being the centre of attention?

I was pretty exposed to this at Moenchengladbach. I haven’t needed to completely change my lifestyle in London. I continue to visit the restaurants that I like. There is indeed no reason to give everything up because I’m an Arsenal player. For me, the bigger problem is all the hype. I’ve never been in the gossip pages and hope that will remain so.

The debate about you playing for Kosovo has been rekindled, you’ve had to spend time addressing it…

I’m sick of having to repeatedly justify myself. You can’t imagine who exerts pressure all on one hand. My letter on Instagram [Xhaka published a letter in Albanian] should explain why I’ve decided to play on with Switzerland. When headlines are written because of a poor translation, it’s regrettable. What more can I say?

Your profile on the pitch is rising. The national team depends on you. Do you think Arsenal will rely on you similarly?

In England they’re aware of what I brought to the table in the Bundesliga. I think the players know that. They are likely to assume that a player who arrives with a €45 million price tag has two or three qualities.

After kicking off with two games without a win there was already some nervousness about Arsenal. The margins of victory are tight if the performance isn’t right…

I knew before I arrived that the pressure at a club that challenges for the title grows quickly. The season is long, we’ll become stronger with every game.

The Swiss national team is growing stronger year on year. Are you looking to improve even more during World Cup qualification?

I hope so, of course, even if I one day I could do with a quiet moment to reflect on everything that happened in France. It was my best spell playing for the national team. I still have the potential to improve in the long-term, I’ll work hard to get rid of my weaknesses.

What role are you going to play against the European champions Portugal [in Switzerland’s first World Cup qualifier]?

In France, I really felt for the first time that my teammates trusted me to run the game.

What do you anticipate happening against the European champions?

We want to measure ourselves against the best. It’s a highlight for us and the fans who want to see and play these types of games. We’ll continue to improve and grow. We have to get better by a few percent then I think we’ll enjoy an even better qualification campaign than last time.