After joining the club in 2016, Ilkay Gundogan has been fairly regular for Manchester City and has been an important part of Pep Guardiola’s success.
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Manchester City supporters would have been left saddened after hearing the departure of their ever-reliable midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. The German midfielder has earned himself a place in the hearts of every City supporter during his stay with the club. Known for his ability to frequently score goals from the midfield, Gundogan has found the back of the net in several crucial occasions to help Man City win important matches.
After joining the club in 2016, Ilkay Gundogan has been fairly regular for Manchester City and has been an important part of Pep Guardiola’s success. Gundogan has penned a note in The Players’ Tribune as he bids goodbye to City supporters after seven years at the club. “When I first arrived here, I was a young man with no kids and a lot of dreams. It’s hard for me to even believe, but I am leaving seven years later as a father who has fulfilled every single dream that he ever had. Today is bittersweet. Goodbyes are never easy, but it’s even harder with this team,” he stated.
“When I had to break the news to the boys that I was leaving in our group chat, I was very emotional. I will miss all of them, honestly. But I am happy to say that I’m leaving here as a champion, and I have nothing but love for the club in my heart. How many footballers can say goodbye as the captain of a treble team? It’s amazing what we achieved. Five Premier League titles in my seven years here. Two FA Cups. The [UEFA] Champions League. The treble. But those are just trophies. The thing that I will remember the most is the feeling inside the squad, especially this season. I’ve never experienced something like it in football.”
Gundogan will always be grateful to manager Pep Guardiola for bringing him to the Etihad Stadium. In fact, the German was the first signing of Guardiola back in the summer of 2016. “I have to say, none of this would have been possible without Pep. There are times when he is so demanding of how we play and so intense that it can be a bit difficult, mentally. But once everyone gets on the same page and we are in harmony on the pitch, his system is so efficient that it almost feels effortless,” he added.
The German midfielder then opened up about how his transfer went through with City seven years ago when he was playing for Borussia Dortmund. “I have always felt a close bond with Pep. One of the hardest calls I had to make was to Pep, telling him that I was going to leave. All I could do was to say thank you. Not just for this season, or for all the trophies, but for bringing me here in the first place,” he elaborated.
“I will never forget when I hurt my knee at the end of the [2015/16] season with Dortmund and I had to get surgery, I was so worried that City would pull out of the deal for me. But Pep called me on the phone and said, ‘Don’t worry, it doesn’t change anything. We want you here. We will wait for you no matter how long it takes.’ I think maybe Pep was hoping that we would come here to City together and leave together, but I know that he understands my decision. I am sure it helps that I’m going to his boyhood club. Hopefully we’ll have a reunion soon in a Champions League final.”
Gundogan also gave the reason behind choosing Barcelona as his next destination. “If I was going to move, there is only one club in the world that made sense. It was Barcelona or nothing. Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of wearing that shirt some day. I am confident that I have a few more years left at the highest level, and I just want to help bring Barcelona back to where they deserve to be,” he stated.
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