Berlin: Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp advised Ilkay Guendogan to move to the Premier League this season, saying the playing style in England’s top division suited the creative midfielder, the Manchester City player said on Tuesday.
Guendogan, who had worked with Klopp at Borussia Dortmund for four seasons and won the double in 2011-12 as well as reaching the Champions League final in 2013, joined City in the close season and scored on his debut on Saturday against Bournemouth.
“To be honest I asked his advice, if the Premier League was the right thing for me,” he told Sport Bild magazine. “He said ‘yes’ and believed I would feel very well here and that the playing style would be perfect for me.
“It was good to have my impressions confirmed.”
The 25-year-old, who had a year remaining on his Dortmund contract, was City’s first signing after Spanish coach Pep Guardiola became the new boss at the Etihad.
Guendogan was still injured at the time, having dislocated a kneecap in training in May that ruled him out of the 2016 European Championships in France.
“He [Guardiola] has this amazing charisma,” Guendogan added. “Anyone with a bit of knowledge of football can see that football under Pep is always extremely dominant and extremely successful. It means a lot if he wants a player. I was the first he wanted to bring here and I was still injured at the time so that says something.”
