Ilkay Gundogan: Manchester City’s unlikely legend
- George Dempsey
- 7 June 2023
When Ilkay Gundogan arrived at Manchester City for a fee of £23million in July 2016, few City fans expected him to leave as a club legend seven years later.
There aren't enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the impact he's had, but his name will sit in the history books alongside the biggest achievements in the club's history.
The German took just four days to score his first goal for the club and was an instant hit, with his lung-busting runs and energetic style revered by City supporters.
That's not to say he isn't without technical ability. Gundogan's adhesive first touch, eye for a pass and impeccable sense of timing make him a top-level operator.
That very sense of timing and selfless nature were poetically captured in two moments during the FA Cup final victory over Manchester United last weekend.
The most stunning strike to grace an FA Cup final, and coincidentally the quickest, painted the picture of a man who always knows where to be.
Amidst the celebrations in front of the Cityzens, you may have failed to notice Gundogan was the one player who didn't get to don a winning medal.
The FA had run out and were two medals short, but Ederson kindly offered his to Kevin de Bruyne. A smiling, medalless Gundogan was serenaded by the blue end of Wembley.
For all the plaudits Erling Haaland and De Bruyne receive, Gundogan has been key to their success in the past 13 months. From a title-winning brace against Aston Villa in 2022 to a delightful double against City's bitter rivals.
The Etihad was silent as Villa took a shock 2-0 lead, but all it took to turn the game on its head was Gundogan gracing us with his presence for 13 minutes. 'Ilkay, made the Scousers cry'.
Six of his 12 goals this season have come in the last five matches, with his double against Leeds setting Pep Guardiola's men on the way to another title. He scored two more against Everton the following week.
A perfectly weighted ball begged De Bruyne to let rip and the Belgian obliged as he levelled the scores in the Bernabeu, earning City a draw before an emphatic second-leg win.
Only Rodri has covered a greater distance in Champions League matches this season, with Gundogan covering one kilometre every 7 minutes and 42 seconds since the tournament began.
Ilkay Gundogan is certain to feature in the starting 11 for Manchester City's Champions League final against Inter Milan and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him have a big impact on the game.
