100 Quotes by Ilkay Gundogan

Everyone told me the Premier League is the hardest. So I just wanted to try because I had nothing to lose.

Playing for Pep has certainly lived up to the expectations. I knew him from the Bundesliga and saw him coaching Barcelona when everyone saw an excellent manager who is able to get players to improve. He is a great personality and a very nice guy.

I wanted to leave Dortmund in Dortmund and not think about spending time with Jurgen when I chose a new club. That was partly a reason for me not to go to Liverpool.

The Champions League is one of the biggest club stages you can reach and I think for players it is an honour to be part of it. It certainly is for me. You just enjoy being a part of it playing against the best clubs in Europe.

There are people who look up to me, but the young Muslim kids, especially in Germany, they also need those closest to them to show them a good path, give them targets in their life. I grew up with a lot of these kids and they didn't have the support I had from my family or friends. Not just in terms of football, but everything else.

Of course, in the end it is all about what happens on the pitch, but it helps to have all the fans behind you.

There was a guy I found incredible in training. A player I thought 'What is he doing? Is he only 18 or 19?' That player was Mario Gotze. He did things in training that made me think 'Wow. If he doesn't make it all the way to the top then I don't know!'

Pep's arrival at City was the biggest factor in me coming here. Every player wants to works with him. If you ask any player, they would be happy to do so even if it was just for a few months.

I feel privileged to have grown up in Germany so it was a heavy blow for me to be portrayed as somebody who isn't integrated and who doesn't live his life according to German values.