Gundogan: My City return feels like being back home | OneFootball

Ilkay Gundogan says he’s revelling in being back at Manchester City and has become used to Pep Guardiola’s tweaks to keep us at the top of the game.

The former German international left City in the summer of 2023 after seven seasons in Manchester and leading the side to a European Treble.

Just a year later, he returned from Barcelona to re-sign for the Premier League champions.

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The 33-year-old has immediately maintained his presence at the forefront of Guardiola’s plans, playing eight times across all competitions already.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Official Man City Podcast, Gundogan made his love for City crystal clear.

“It has been very enjoyable and quite easy also to get reintroduced into the Club. There are a lot of faces that I am familiar with, a couple of new faces,” he reflected on his first weeks back at the City Football Academy.

“In general, I am enjoying the energy I get from the team, I am enjoying the banter and enjoying to be with the team-mates.

“I’ve missed a lot of people in the last year and being back feels like being back home.

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“The way that everything went, it was very smooth and easy and that was an amazing time for me.

“Even things like the weather you start to appreciate when you don’t have it anymore!

“I am enjoying playing football at such a high standard with incredible players and incredible management.”

A silky smooth midfielder who works tirelessly off the ball and looks stylish and composed on it, it’s no surprise Gundogan has enjoyed an incredibly fruitful relationship with Guardiola.

When you also consider that Gundogan is renowned as a deep thinker on the game, his admiration for Guardiola becomes ever clearer.

That explains why the manager has been so comfortable throwing his former captain straight back into the team early after his return to the Etihad.

Gundogan says he’s taken it all in his stride.

“With Pep and the type of play, every season there are a couple of small details in terms of adapting the approach,” he said.

“Every summer, Pep wants the opponents to not be able to read us 100% and always tries to adapt a couple of things.

“It depends on the quality of the players so that everyone can put his own strengths on the pitch and contribute in the best possible way as well.

“I think that’s why he’s the best manager in the world because he sees things that others don’t see and he can transmit onto the pitch in the best possible way.

“There was always a slight change. If you ask players this season compared to last year when I wasn’t here, there is probably another change in the small details.

“I’m used to it that there’s something he was adapting so it’s not a surprise for me.”

Since arriving back at City, Gundogan says he’s taken it upon himself to develop a close relationship with his team-mates that weren’t at the Club for any of our man’s previous successes.

“For me, I want to create a connection with the players that joined last year when I left.

“It's easier with the ones I have already played with but players like Mateo [Kovacic], Josko [Gvardiol], Matheus [Nunes] – you want to know how they move and behave in situations on the pitch.

“I like to see it and analyse it then adapt to it in the best possible way so we can help each other. You can make each other better and contribute to each other.

“That’s something that is not there from day one but I think it’s going well so far and it will get better.”

Official Man City Podcast

Each episode feature an in-depth interview with a range of special guests - players, legends, coaches, managers and celebrity fans - as our hosts attempt to get under the skin of City’s past and present.

So far, we've heard from many of our current first team squad of regular Premier League champions like Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, our WSL team such as Alex Greenwood, Lauren Hemp and Jess Park as well as the likes of Blossoms and Ricky Hatton away from the pitch.

The Official Manchester City podcast is firstly available on mancity.com and our official app via a CITY+ subscription.

The audio version will then follow the next week via the Sport Social Podcast Network or wherever you get your podcasts.