Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has opened up on the meaning behind his bizarre 'Mr Whippy' ice-cream based nickname that the fans have awarded him.
The German midfielder has asserted himself as an essential part of Pep Guardiola's side in the Premier League. Gundogan picked up a habit of scoring vital goals for the Blues since he moved to Manchester in 2016, as most recently shown by his brace during City's stunning final 15-minute comeback against Aston Villa to win the league last season.
Nicknames in football are part and parcel of the game, often coming from fellow teammates and relating to inside jokes. However, after a social media clip of Gundogan scoring with 'alternative' commentary labelling Gundogan as Mr Whippy went viral, the nickname has stuck.
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Speaking ahead of City's Champions League clash against Sevilla, Gundogan opened up on how he first heard of his new nickname and exactly what he makes of it.
Speaking to UEFA, he said: "My name is Ilkay Gundogan and my nickname is Mr Whippy. However, that didn't come from the team, it was created by the fans. The nickname comes from the season before last, I can't remember how many goals I scored, maybe around 20 [sic 17], friends and people that I knew just sent it to me [the video] online.
"Nobody ever explained it to me, I think it has to do with the number of goals I scored and how I scored them with a whip. Coupled with my love for ice cream, that's how it came about. I can live with it, it suits me."
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