lkay Gundogan German footballer of Turkish descent, midfielder Date of Birth: 24.10.1990 Country: Germany

1. Biography of Ilkay Gundogan
2. Career in Bundesliga
3. Injuries and Move to Manchester City
4. International Career
5. Achievements

Biography of Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan is a German footballer of Turkish descent who currently plays as a midfielder for Manchester City and the German national team. He was born in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Gundogan began his football career playing for his local team and later joined the Schalke school at the age of 8. However, he did not fit in there and returned to his previous club. In 2005, he caught the attention of scouts from Bochum and joined their academy. In 2008, after graduating from the Bochum academy, he signed a contract with their second team and made his debut on December 13, 2008, in a match against Eintracht Trier. Gundogan continued to impress and even scored a goal in the following match against Kloppenburg-1919. In February 2009, he transferred to Nurnberg for a transfer fee of 850,000 euros. He made his debut for the new team on March 24, 2009, in a match against Munich 1860. Nurnberg won the match 2-1 and Gundogan came on as a substitute. In the same season, Nurnberg was promoted to the Bundesliga.

Career in Bundesliga

Gundogan made his Bundesliga debut on August 8, 2009, starting in a match against Schalke 04, his hometown club. Despite the defeat, it was clear that Gundogan had become a key player for Nurnberg. In the 2009/10 season, he played 22 matches and scored 1 goal, and in the 2010/11 season, he played 25 matches and scored 5 goals. There were rumors of interest from English clubs such as Manchester United and Chelsea, as well as Hamburg and Bayer. On May 5, 2011, it was announced that Gundogan had transferred to Borussia Dortmund, signing a four-year contract. He was seen as the replacement for Nuri Sahin, who had moved to Real Madrid. Gundogan made his official debut for Dortmund on July 23, 2011, in the German Super Cup against Schalke 04. Dortmund lost the match in a penalty shootout, but Gundogan played the full match and scored his penalty. In his first season with Dortmund, Gundogan helped the team win the domestic double (German league and cup). In the Champions League final on May 25, 2013, Gundogan scored a penalty, but Dortmund lost to Bayern Munich 2-1.

Injuries and Move to Manchester City

Gundogan missed most of the following season due to a back injury. He struggled with his recovery and sought the help of non-specialized doctors. In the 2014/15 season, he returned to the Dortmund starting lineup and the club expressed its desire to extend his contract, which was set to expire in the summer of 2016. On July 1, 2015, Gundogan signed a contract extension with Dortmund until 2017. On June 2, 2016, he transferred to Manchester City for €27 million, signing a four-year contract. On November 1, 2016, Gundogan scored two goals in a 3-1 victory against Barcelona in the Champions League group stage.

International Career

Gundogan has represented various German national teams at different age levels. He received his first call-up to the senior national team in August 2011 for a friendly match against Brazil but did not make an appearance. He made his debut on October 11, 2011, coming off the bench in a home match against Belgium in the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Gundogan was part of the team that finished third in the tournament. He missed the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 UEFA European Championship due to injuries. Unlike his Turkish teammates Mesut Ozil and Emre Can, Gundogan sings the German national anthem.

Achievements

Borussia Dortmund:
- German league champion: 2011/12
- German cup winner: 2011/12
- German Super Cup winner: 2013
- German League Cup winner: 2017/18

German national team:
- UEFA European Championship bronze medalist: 2012