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Pep Guardiola said Ilkay Gundogan had not come back to Manchester City to retire and told him it is time to put his football boots on and show the quality that persuaded him to sign the midfielder for a second time, rather than just enjoying a nostalgia trip.
The City manager admitted it was a surprise when he heard that Gundogan, who left to join Barcelona last summer, wanted to return to the Etihad Stadium but said it was an easy decision to agree. The 33-year-old has put pen to paper on a one-year deal after Barcelona let him leave on a free transfer.
And Guardiola said: “All the managers say that until the transfer window finishes anything can happen so this is the real proof. It was a surprise, unexpected. We know him quite well, the staff and players and everyone, and we know the quality. He plays last year at Barcelona at a high, high level and look forward to seeing a lot. We didn’t have any doubts when the possibility was open and I am delighted he is back.
“Of course he is not a teenager any more but the reason we decided to do it was for the level he played last season. Even the Euros playing for [Germany manager Julian] Nagelsmann in the national team, he played really good.”
Gundogan was City’s Treble-winning captain before his departure and scored 60 goals in 304 games in his first spell at the Etihad Stadium, helping them claim 14 trophies.
But Guardiola warned that the time for reminiscing about the past is when his playing days are over. He added: “The feeling is that he doesn’t come to retire or to remember good memories, we have time to do that in the future. Now it is time to put your shoes on and do your best.”
Guardiola said City’s players are yet to vote for the captain this season, after Kyle Walker replaced Gundogan as skipper last season.
Gundogan could feature against Ipswich on Saturday providing he gets international clearance but Rodri is likely to miss the match.
The midfielder, who has not played since the Euro 2024 final, has not trained with the City squad so far this week. Savinho, who went off injured in last week’s win over Chelsea, is also a doubt.
