Ilkay Gundogan says it is a privilege to be coached by Pep Guardiola and believes the City manager stands as one of the most innovative managers the game of football has ever seen.
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The German midfielder was one of Guardiola’s first signings when he took charge of the club in the summer of 2016, moving to us from Borussia Dortmund.
In the six years since, the 31-year-old has proved a key catalyst in our incredible success under the Catalan, helping the club collect 11 major honours, most recently the 2021/22 Premier League title.
And as he prepares to begin his seventh season at City playing under Pep ahead of Sunday’s Premier League opener at West Ham, Gundogan paid beautiful tribute to Guardiola’s incredible influence not only at City but football as a whole.
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“I think it’s great. In terms of qualities, I have not seen anyone better than him”, said Gundogan.
“Maybe I won’t see anyone better than him. I just feel privileged to be able to work with him now for the seventh year, to still learn from him, to be appreciated and valued by him.
“I truly believe he was and is the most innovative coach football has ever seen.
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“I think he’s just incredible, what he’s achieved and what he’s still capable of achieving. It’s just an honor for me.”
Gundogan played a crucial role in City’s recent title success, coming off the bench to score twice in five minutes – including the winner – in May’s dramatic 3-2 comeback win against Aston Villa.
It was perhaps the ultimate example of the importance of the whole City squad with every player – whether in the starting XI or on the bench – capable of making a crucial contribution.
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And with competition for starting places expected to be fierce again given the quality at Guardiola’s disposal, Gundogan said the role of the squad’s rotation would once again be a key component in the Club’s quest for success this season.
“It’s disappointing when you’re not in the lineup, but you know your team is always big and you have a lot of players who are also capable of playing at the highest level,” Gundogan emphasized.
“It’s something we have to get used to a little bit as well, where you can play a game and then sit out a game just because of the spin.
“I believe that everyone has a job in the game that they play and their job is to give the best possible performance for your team and if you submit to that then you will try to do your best.
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“That’s how I see it, even though there is disappointment.”
It’s been somewhat of a summer of change at the Etihad.
Four experienced players – Fernandinho, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleks Zinchenko – have all departed with four new faces arriving in the form of Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and Stefan Ortega Moreno.
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Haaland has followed the same career trajectory as Gundogan in moving from Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund to the Etihad.
But although Haaland is still very young, having only celebrated his 22nd birthday last month, Gundogan has already seen enough of our exciting Norwegian striker to know that he needs no special guidance or direction as he prepares for his new challenge.
“I believe someone of his quality doesn’t really need advice from me,” added Gundogan.
“[Erling and I] he didn’t talk about football. We talked about personal things, he is sitting next to me in the dressing room too. We haven’t talked about football yet.
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“The mentality he has speaks for itself.
“With that right mentality, he won’t struggle too much to adapt to English football. I really don’t believe that.”
West Ham v City
In the UK, the game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, while live fans around the world can find out how to tune in via TV listings here, courtesy of livesoccertv.com.
You can also follow the game on our Matchday Hub at mancity.com and the official app, which includes minute-by-minute text updates from 2.30pm, while highlights will be covered on Twitter: @ManCity.
our Matchday Live The show starts one hour before kick-off and is available on all our digital platforms, including our Matchday Hub.
And, during the game, you can listen to live audio commentary on The Man City app.
Short highlights will be available to watch from 8.15pm, while CITY+ subscribers will also be able to enjoy every minute of the action in our full match replay from midnight.
