UCL: The Greatest Athlete Guardiola Has Ever Coached

"He's so intelligent, top class..."

Ilkay Gundogan, a midfielder for Manchester City, has been named by manager Pep Guardiola as one of the best players he has ever developed.

Gundogan was Guardiola's first acquisition in July 2016 and has since established himself as an important member of his starting lineup.

Gundogan has so far made 298 appearances for Man City in various competitions, tallying 56 goals and 38 assists.

Speaking before Man City's first-leg match against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semifinal on Tuesday night, Guardiola told the Mirror that Gundogan is a top-tier player and really cerebral.

Guardiola stated, "He is so intelligent, Gundo. So clever. So competitive. Under pressure, he handles it without a problem.

"He is one of the best players I ever trained in my career. The whole package. He's top, top class."