Ilkay Gundogan Makes A Surprising Choice After Being Asked To Name His Toughest Ever Opponents

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has named Everton defender Yerry Mina as one of the toughest opponents of his career.

Mina, 27, has struggled for both form and fitness since joining Everton from Barcelona in 2018.

But Gundogan has singled out the Colombia international as a particularly difficult opponent to come up against, mainly due to his mastery of football’s dark arts.

“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.”

Gundogan also named Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante as one of the toughest opponents he’s come up against during his career.

He added: “He acts extremely hard. You dribble past him and think he can’t get to it anymore, and two seconds later he’s back – unbelievable.”

Gundogan is out of contact at Manchester City in 2023 but the Germany international is keen to extend his stay at the Etihad.

The 31-year-old has scored 46 goals in 240 games for City since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2016.

“I’m very happy here: I like life, love the club and feel extremely comfortable,” he added.

“That’s why I can imagine staying beyond 2023."