Ilkay Gündoğan says rejoining Manchester City looks like coming house, with acquainted faces and Erling Haaland’s trademark goal-scoring making it appear as if he by no means left.
After ending a seven-year, trophy-laden tenure on the Etihad Stadium final summer time, the 33-year-old captain signed with Barcelona on a free switch, main the aspect to a treble.
Gündoğan, who left as a membership legend, was welcomed again with open arms, making a memorable second debut as an alternative in Saturday’s 4-1 comeback victory over promoted Ipswich.
“Honestly, it feels like returning home and it’s such a joy to be back here playing this amazing football, trying to set standards,” Gündoğan mentioned.
“I really feel very privileged.
“Not a lot has modified. There are a couple of new faces within the staff, however the boys welcomed me with open arms after I arrived.
“It honestly felt like I’d never been away, and also Erling [Haaland] scoring a hat trick – I don’t think there’s anything better I could get used to. Hopefully, there are many more to come.”
Gündoğan believes “there’s no better team in world football that has so many players at such a high level.”
Haaland commonly shines the brightest due to his scoring prowess, with Saturday’s hat trick taking the 24-year-old’s tally to 94 targets in 96 begins for City.
“When you have such numbers, of course, it also comes with the expectation from people,” Gündoğan mentioned.
“We all bear in mind final yr and the yr earlier than when he did not rating for one, two, three video games, and other people had been already criticizing, ‘Is he becoming the staff?’ or this or that.
“Dealing with that at such a younger age will not be straightforward, however his habits contained in the dressing room, his perspective, and the way in which he interacts with folks, whether or not gamers or employees, is simply unimaginable.
“I think he is an example, not just as a player but also as a human being, of how we treat people and how he makes not just himself better but also us better. That is why it is a big privilege to share the dressing room with him.”
Gündoğan can be delighted to be working with Pep Guardiola once more, his neighbor after returning to the Manchester residence he saved throughout his time in Barcelona.
The midfielder says the pair saved in contact all through his season away and have an “amazing” relationship, with reviews suggesting he is likely to be eager to hitch Guardiola’s teaching set-up at some point.
“It is not something we really spoke about,” Gündoğan mentioned. “Obviously, we talked about techniques.
“He explains issues to me, and we trade concepts. I really feel there’s a lot to be taught from him, and it’s one thing I’ll positively take into account for the long run.
“That is why I did my B license badges a few years in the past, however it’s not one thing now we have mentioned but.
“I believe everybody who may very well be on his backroom employees would really feel privileged, and so would I at some point after I take into account retiring.
“But I am not done yet. I still want to play a few more years because I feel physically top, mentally on an amazing level, and I just want to enjoy playing football.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com