Sunderland U23 coach Elliot Dickman has hailed the attitude of Jan Kirchhoff.
The 26-year-old trained with Dickman's U23 set-up while the first team squad were in New York as he stepped up his injury recovery.
He rejoined the senior squad on their return but managed 64 minutes against Manchester United this week.
Dickman told the Sunderland Echo: “It was great for the other lads, he's a great man, a real professional who helps them out a lot. It was a great experience for all of us [having him train], me included. For the other lads to see how he trains, and the really good thing was that he was talking to them, giving them advice which is what it is all about really."