Sunderland midfielder Craig Gardner has no doubts about the commitment of the club's foreign players.
Many of Sunderland's 14 summer signings speak little English, but Gardner has been impressed by their willingness to learn as Gus Poyet - like Paolo Di Canio before him - insists they must.
He said: "A lot of them don't speak English but they're learning every single day. They're asking the lads, 'What does this mean?' They're picking it up now.
"Emanuele Giaccherini is working really hard on his English and talking a lot more fluently now.
"Everyone's helping and the lads are getting behind each other and helping the foreign lads to settle.
"Football's one language. If someone is running off somebody you don't have to say anything, you just see the runs. They'll get there.
"It's hard to understand the English game because it's faster than any other league in the world."
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