Granit Xhaka has been voted Switzerland's Player of the Year by fans at home -- but said he cannot go out in London after Arsenal's 4-0 loss to Liverpool.
Xhaka was handed the award at a Swiss Football Association ceremony on Monday night, just a day after he was one of many Arsenal players criticised for a listless display at Anfield.
"I am very proud [of the award]. I had to work hard for it, but I would have never achieved it without the lads and the [national team] staff," Xhaka said. "I am still young, I am still fresh and I want more. I want to work even harder than before and then we'll see what the future holds in store for me."
Xhaka starred for Switzerland at last summer's Euro 2016 but has divided fans at the Emirates Stadium after a series of inconsistent displays and two red cards in his debut season.
Credit Suisse Player of the Year: Granit Xhaka! 🏅👏#SwissFootballAwards pic.twitter.com/IUaItcoNwa
— nationalteams_SFVASF (@SFV_ASF) August 28, 2017
And he said he may need to keep a low profile after the humiliating defeat on Sunday.
Asked if he feels he can move about freely in London, Xhaka replied: "I'm not going out after a 4-0 loss against Liverpool."
The midfielder also reflected on his first season at Arsenal, saying it was a campaign of mixed emotions after the club finished fifth in the Premier League but went on to win the FA Cup.
"It's a shame we did not qualify for the Champions League. That's definitely a downside, but we've won the cup and that's a dream come true for me," he said.