Jan Kirchhoff

On 7 January 2016, Kirchhoff signed an 18-month contract with Sunderland for an undisclosed fee. [ 99 ] [ 100 ] On 16 January 2016, Kirchhoff made his debut for Sunderland as a 58th-minute substitute, in a 4–1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur . [ 101 ] Kirchhoff made a poor start as he deflected a shot from Christian Eriksen which led to a goal, and conceded a penalty with a foul on Danny Rose . [ 102 ] The German was then deployed mainly as a defensive midfielder and earned plaudits due to his precise tackling and passing. [ 103 ] [ 104 ] [ 105 ] [ 106 ] [ 107 ] Kirchhoff was voted the PFA Fans' Player of the Month for April for his performances as Sunderland fought against relegation. [ 108 ] Kirchhoff's efforts paid off as Sunderland managed to survive relegation thanks to a 3–0 win over Everton on 11 May 2016 with goals coming from defenders Patrick van Aanholt and a brace from Lamine Koné . [ 109 ] At the end of the 2015–16 season, he made fifteen appearances in all competitions. However at the start of the 2016–17 season, Kirchhoff suffered a hamstring injury during a 1–1 draw against Montpellier in a friendly match and was sidelined for a month. [ 110 ] [ 111 ] It wasn't until on 12 September 2016 when Kirchhoff returned to the starting line–up and played 76 minutes before being substituted, in a 3–0 loss against Everton . [ 112 ] Following this, the club's poor form in the next two matches led him speaking out on the poor performance. [ 113 ] [ 114 ] [ 115 ] Kirchhoff also later said in an interview with The Atlantic that he had a difficult relationship with Manager David Moyes . [ 116 ] However, during a 1–1 draw against West Bromwich Albion on 1 October 2016, Kirchhoff suffered a hamstring injury in the 57th minute and was substituted a result. [ 117 ] [ 118 ] Following this, it was announced that he would be out for six weeks. [ 119 ] [ 120 ] It wasn't until on 3 December 2016 when Kirchhoff returned to the starting line–up against Leicester City , setting — Wikipedia