Ilkay Gundogan played with a lot of top-class midfielders during his time at Manchester City.
Spending seven years at the Etihad Stadium between 2016 and 2023, the German racked up 304 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side across all competitions, captaining the Blues to their historic Treble in his final season at the club.
Now though, the 33-year-old has shared some insight into what one of his former City teammates did behind the scenes when he first joined them.
Ilkay Gundogan shares what Rodri used to do after training in debut Man City season
Speaking in a recent press conference (via The Express) ahead of Germany’s quarter-final clash against Spain,
He said: “I remember his first year at Man City. After training sessions he stayed behind longer, he was always discussing things and trying to learn.
“He managed to perfect his style. That’s why, in his position, he is extraordinary. He’s the best holding-midfielder in the world.
“You can’t eliminate a player like that for 90 minutes, but there are certain ways to disturb him and make his life more difficult. Maybe you can make him start to doubt things, and that’s part of our plan for the game.”
Rodri has developed into one of the best midfielders in the world
Since Rodri joined City back in 2019 from Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £62m, the Spaniard has gone on to make 257 appearances across all competitions, scoring 26 goals and delivering 30 assists in the process.
Last month, Micah Richards said that in his first season at City, Rodri was “getting himself into positions where he could be exposed on the turn,” but has now grown and developed into “the best number six in world football.”
This shows that with experience and the time he took away from training to learn things about his role, as Gundogan has now revealed, the midfielder has certainly benefited and become a vital player for club and country.