Belgian goalkeeper Simon Mignolet has revealed how he had to adapt to a new way of life when he joined Sunderland.
The goalkeeper joined Sunderland in a £2.25m deal from Sint-Truiden in 2010, his first move to a club outside of his homeland.
He went on to make 101 appearances for the Black Cats, establishing himself as their first-choice goalkeeper before a move to Liverpool in 2013.
He’s since returned to Belgium to play for Club Brugge and has impressed for the Belgian club both domestically and in the Champions League.
That means he remains a part of the Belgium squad, with him very likely to be in their squad for the World Cup in Qatar.
There’s currently fierce debate about the makeup of that squad, with it likely to contain several players who will be making big-money moves this summer.
That could see them changing countries and having to adapt to life in a new environment, something Mignolet has detailed in a discussion about his time at Sunderland.
“At that time, I was still living with my parents,” Het Laatste Niuews report him saying.
“At home, they cooked for me, did the laundry and the washing. Suddenly I went to England and had to do everything myself from day one. That was very drastic.
“But a move like that does have an impact on your life. On the pitch and off it. I had to get used to that new environment for three, four months.
“It was a big plus that I spoke the language. So I didn’t need that extra adjustment.”
