Jan Kirchhoff has hailed the team work at Sunderland.

Kirchhoff knows the individual ability in a Sunderland line-up including Jermain Defoe and Victor Anichebe but says the collective strength means everything.

“Football is a team game," declared the 26-year-old to the Sunderland Echo.

“There are few players in the world who are able to decide a game on their own. Even for them, to put the ability of each player together and get the best out of each individual player that is what you have to do.

“That is the only chance how you can be successful. It is about all of us playing at our highest level.

“Put that together and bring your strength into the squad and win games as a team.

“It is not down to one of us, it is down to the 11 on the pitch and those on the bench or who are training.

“It is a team sport, not an individual one."