Man City's Ilkay Gundogan names surprise Everton player as his toughest opponent

02.03.2022 - 19:33 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Ilkay Gundogan has faced Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, as well as some of the best players to pass through the Premier League and Bundesliga or the international scene with Germany.

However, Gundogan has named an unlikely player as his toughest-ever opponent this week, pointing to an Everton defender rather than one of the more predictable world-class names he has lined up against.

Gundogan, 31, spoke to SportBILD where he expressed his desire to stay at City beyond his current contract that expires next summer, and he has also made headlines by naming Everton's Yerry Mina as his most difficult opponent.

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Referring to Mina's physical traits to put off opposition players, Gundogan said: “I also remember Yerry Mina from Everton.

“A tough Colombian centre-back. He’ll use his hands in a tackle, scratch or pinch your back when the referee isn’t looking. I’ve seen him do that once or twice.

“But not so much in a dirty way. He even smiles in your face in a friendly way, which makes him sympathetic in a funny way. I didn’t know how to pinch the back before.”

Mina didn't feature in City's 1-0 win over Everton at the weekend.

Another rival of Gundogan's is his former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp, now in charge of City's Premier League challengers Liverpool.

With so much at stake between City and Liverpool, Gundogan and Klopp could be forgiven for limiting their relationship in England after experiencing success in Germany.

However, Gundogan told Bild that the pair remain on good speaking terms despite going head to head on the pitch.

"We share a real friendship," he said.

“But when we