Up there with Yaya, Kompany and Agüero for giving us a number of crucially massive trophy winning goals and performances.
He’s been a fantastic servant to this club. Very consistent and has seemed to get better with age.
In that record breaking 14-game winning run to beat Liverpool to the PL title in 2019, Gündoğan was our best player and was actually rated by Opta as the best player in Europe from February to May that season. A masterclass of deep-lying play-making (a role he played a number of times for us, including in the 6-3 demolition of United this season). You have to remember that Kevin de Bruyne was injured for most of that season and Fernandinho missed a lot of the run-in with injury n’all, and Gündoğan really stepped up as a leader in midfield.
In that record breaking 21-game winning run in all competitions that saw us stretch away from everyone else in the PL and barge our way through to nearly winning a treble that season n’all - in 2021 - Gündoğan was brilliant again. He scored 13 PL goals and 17 in all competitions that season. de Bruyne was injured for most of those 21 games and, again, Gündoğan really stepped up as a leader in that run, where scored 11 of his 17 goals within that winning run.
Last season, Ilkay came up with one of the most exciting and monumental displays and goals in football history with the way we came from 0-2 down against Villa to win the game and the PL title.
View attachment 84141
And this season, as captain of the club, he’s lead by example again. Some of his performances over the second half of the season to chase down Arsenal to win the PL were brilliant (his beautiful goals and assist for Haaland at Everton) and to beat Bayern München, Real Madrid and Inter to finally win the CL.
And the goals against United in the FA Cup final!
Someone who doesn’t get mentioned as being up there with those with statues outside the East Stand, but fucking should. What a fucking player!
And a true gent…
Thank you Ilkay. All the best for the rest of your life.