İlkay Gündoğan facts for kids
Gündoğan lining up for Germany in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | İlkay Gündoğan | ||
| Date of birth | 24 October 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Gelsenkirchen, Germany | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Manchester City | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1998 | SV Gelsenkirchen-Hessler 06 | ||
| 1998–1999 | Schalke 04 | ||
| 1999–2004 | SV Gelsenkirchen-Hessler 06 | ||
| 2004–2005 | SSV Buer | ||
| 2005–2008 | VfL Bochum | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | VfL Bochum II | 2 | (1) |
| 2009–2011 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 48 | (6) |
| 2011–2016 | Borussia Dortmund | 105 | (10) |
| 2012 | Borussia Dortmund II | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2023 | Manchester City | 188 | (44) |
| 2023–2024 | Barcelona | 36 | (5) |
| 2024– | Manchester City | 33 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2008 | Germany U18 | 7 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Germany U19 | 6 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Germany U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | Germany U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2011–2024 | Germany | 82 | (19) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:23, 25 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
İlkay Gündoğan (born 24 October 1990) is a German professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for the English club Manchester City.
Gündoğan started his youth career at VfL Bochum. In 2009, he joined 1. FC Nürnberg. Two years later, in 2011, he moved to Borussia Dortmund. There, he played over 150 games. He helped Dortmund win the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal in his first season. He also scored in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, which Dortmund lost.
In 2016, Gündoğan signed with Manchester City. He played over 300 games for them. He won five Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups, and the Champions League. In 2022, he became the club captain. He led the team to win three major trophies in the 2022–23 season. After that, he left the club. He played one season in Spain for Barcelona. In 2024, he rejoined Manchester City.
Gündoğan first played for the German national team in 2011. Before that, he played for Germany's youth teams. He was part of Germany's squads for the UEFA European Championship in 2012, 2020, and 2024. He was captain for Euro 2024. He also played in the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Football
İlkay Gündoğan was born on October 24, 1990. He grew up in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. His family has Turkish roots. His grandfather moved from Turkey to Germany to work as a miner.
Gündoğan was a fan of Schalke 04 as a boy. He even played for their youth team when he was eight. However, he had to stop playing for a while due to growth problems. This was a big disappointment for him. Later, when he was 13, he turned down an offer to rejoin Schalke. He was worried he might be disappointed again.
He eventually joined VfL Bochum's youth academy. In 2008, he started playing for their reserve team.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out: Nürnberg Success
In 2009, Gündoğan signed with 1. FC Nürnberg, a team in the 2. Bundesliga. He quickly made an impact. In his fourth Bundesliga match, he made his first assist. This was against Bayern Munich in September 2009. He scored his first goal for Nürnberg in February 2010, also against Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund: Winning Trophies
First Seasons and a Big Final
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On May 5, 2011, Gündoğan joined Borussia Dortmund. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for Dortmund in July 2011. This was in the 2011 DFL-Supercup against Schalke. He scored his first goal for Dortmund in December 2011. It was in a 4–1 win against SC Freiburg.
In March 2012, Gündoğan scored a goal in extra time. This helped Dortmund beat Greuther Fürth. They reached the 2012 DFB-Pokal final. In the final, Dortmund won 5–2 against Bayern Munich. This victory gave Dortmund their first domestic double (winning both the league and cup).
In the 2012–13 season, Gündoğan was a key player for Dortmund. They reached the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. He played very well in the semi-finals against Real Madrid. In the Champions League final, he scored a penalty goal. This goal tied the game against Bayern Munich. However, Bayern Munich eventually won 2–1.
Injuries and Contract Deals
Gündoğan scored in the 2013 DFL-Supercup in July 2013. Dortmund won 4–2 against Bayern Munich. But in August, he got a back injury while playing for Germany. This injury kept him out of the game for a whole year.
In April 2014, Gündoğan signed a new contract with Dortmund until 2016. In April 2015, he scored in a penalty shootout win against Bayern Munich. This sent Dortmund to the 2015 DFB-Pokal final. A few days later, it was announced he might leave Dortmund. But on July 1, 2015, he signed another contract extension until June 2017.
Manchester City: Premier League Dominance
First Season and a Big Injury
On June 2, 2016, Gündoğan joined Premier League club Manchester City. He signed a four-year contract. He was the first player signed by new manager Pep Guardiola. Gündoğan played his first game for City in September. He helped City win 4–0 against Borussia Mönchengladbach. He also won a penalty in that game.
Three days later, he scored his first goal for City. This was in a 4–0 win against AFC Bournemouth. He scored two goals against West Bromwich Albion in October 2016. He also scored twice against Barcelona in a Champions League game.
However, in December, Gündoğan got a serious knee injury. He tore a ligament in his right knee. This meant he missed the rest of the season.
Winning Many Titles
Gündoğan returned to play for Manchester City in September 2017. He came on as a substitute in a 6–0 win against Watford. Three months later, he scored his first goal of the season. This was a header in a 4–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. In February 2018, he scored two goals against FC Basel in the Champions League.
In March 2018, he set two Premier League records. He made the most passes attempted (174) and completed (167) in a single game. This was in a 1–0 win over Chelsea.
In August 2019, Gündoğan signed a new four-year contract with City. In September 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19. He had to self-isolate for ten days. After recovering, he scored his first Premier League goal of the season in December.
In February 2021, Gündoğan scored two goals against Liverpool. This was City's first win at Anfield since 2003. He won the Premier League Player of the Month award for January and February 2021. He was the first City player to win it twice in a row. He was City's top scorer in the league that season with 13 goals.
In May 2022, he scored two goals against Aston Villa. This helped City win 3–2 and secure their sixth Premier League title.
Captain and Treble Winner
Gündoğan became Manchester City's club captain in August 2022. His teammates chose him for the role. On May 6, 2023, he scored two goals in a 2–1 win over Leeds United. This was City's 10th league win in a row. On May 14, he scored two more goals against Everton. One was a clever flick, and the other was a great free kick. These goals helped City win the league title.
On June 3, 2023, Gündoğan scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history. It was a volley within 12 seconds of the final against Manchester United. City won the match 2–1, with Gündoğan scoring both goals. He was named man of the match. On June 10, he won his first Champions League title. City beat Inter Milan 1–0 in the final. He was the first City captain to lift the European Cup. On June 26, City announced that Gündoğan was leaving after seven years.
Barcelona and Return to City
On June 26, 2023, Gündoğan joined La Liga club Barcelona. He signed a two-year contract for free. He scored his first goal for Barcelona on October 28. It was against Real Madrid in an El Clásico match. He was the second oldest player to score for Barcelona in this rivalry.
On August 23, 2024, Gündoğan rejoined Manchester City. He signed a one-year deal after one season away. On October 23, he played his 100th Champions League match. This was in a 5–0 win over Sparta Prague. On May 25, 2025, he scored his first Premier League goal since returning to City. This was in a 2–0 win against Fulham. On June 22, he scored two goals in City's 6–0 win against Al Ain in the FIFA Club World Cup group stage.
International Career for Germany
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After playing for various youth teams, Gündoğan was called up to the Germany senior team in August 2011. He made his debut on October 11, coming on as a substitute against Belgium.
In May 2012, he was chosen for Germany's squad for Euro 2012. Germany reached the semi-finals, but Gündoğan did not play. On March 26, 2013, he scored his first goal for Germany. It was in a 4–1 win against Kazakhstan. He scored his second goal in August 2013 against Paraguay. However, he got a back injury in that game. This injury kept him out for a year. He missed the 2014 World Cup, which Germany won.
Gündoğan returned to international football in March 2015. He scored in a 7–0 win against Gibraltar in June 2015. He also scored in a 3–2 win against Scotland in September. In May 2016, he was injured again and missed Euro 2016. He was part of Germany's squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He was also selected for UEFA Euro 2020 in May 2021.
In November 2022, Gündoğan was chosen for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In Germany's first match against Japan, he scored a penalty. Japan eventually won 2–1. In September 2023, he was named captain of the national team. This was because Manuel Neuer was injured. When Neuer returned, Gündoğan kept the captaincy.
Gündoğan was in Germany's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. On June 14, he captained Germany to a 5–1 win against Scotland in the opening match. He became the first German player of Turkish descent to captain the team at a major tournament. On June 19, he was named Player of the Match against Hungary. He scored a goal and made an assist in the 2–0 win. This secured Germany's spot in the knockout phase. On August 19, 2024, Gündoğan announced he was retiring from international football.
Playing Style and Skills
Gündoğan is known for his great vision, athleticism, and leadership on the field. His manager at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola, called him "one of the best players" he had ever worked with. Jürgen Klopp, his former coach at Borussia Dortmund, said Gündoğan is an "intelligent and complete midfielder." He has many strengths.
Gündoğan had a tough start at Dortmund. But Klopp said his "willingness to learn" and "great attitude" helped him become a key player. He fit into Dortmund's fast style of play. He combined creativity and excellent passing with strong defense and lots of energy.
Early in his career, Gündoğan often played on the sides of the field. But he later became a central midfielder. He said playing wide was not his strongest point. He feels comfortable as a defensive or central midfielder. He also believes he can play as a playmaker. He is good at keeping possession and controlling the game's speed. At Manchester City, he played in many midfield roles. He was praised for his ability to move the ball and create space for his teammates. Like many athletes, Gündoğan has faced injuries throughout his career.
Personal Life
İlkay Gündoğan married Sara Arfaoui in 2022. In 2023, they had a son named Kais. Gündoğan's cousin, Naz Aydemir, is a volleyball player.
Gündoğan is a Muslim. In May 2018, he met a Turkish politician in London. This caused some people in Germany to be upset. Gündoğan was booed by German fans when he played for the national team weeks later.
Even after leaving Nürnberg, Gündoğan has stayed in touch with the club. He also keeps in touch with the local school where he finished his studies in 2011. He remembers his time in Nürnberg as some of the happiest years of his professional life.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| VfL Bochum II | 2008–09 | Regionalliga West | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | ||||
| 1. FC Nürnberg | 2008–09 | 2. Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 26 | 3 | |||
| 2010–11 | Bundesliga | 25 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 26 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 48 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 53 | 8 | ||||
| Borussia Dortmund | 2011–12 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 4 | |
| 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 4 | ||
| 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 25 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 10 | 1 | — | 40 | 3 | |||
| Total | 105 | 10 | 19 | 2 | — | 30 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 157 | 15 | |||
| Borussia Dortmund II | 2011–12 | Regionalliga West | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Manchester City | 2016–17 | Premier League | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | — | 16 | 5 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 30 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 2 | — | 48 | 6 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 31 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 6 | |
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 31 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 5 | |
| 2020–21 | Premier League | 28 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | — | 46 | 17 | ||
| 2021–22 | Premier League | 27 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 10 | |
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 31 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 11 | |
| Total | 188 | 44 | 24 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 67 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 304 | 60 | ||
| Barcelona | 2023–24 | La Liga | 36 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 5 | |
| Manchester City | 2024–25 | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 54 | 5 |
| Career total | 413 | 67 | 55 | 9 | 22 | 0 | 117 | 14 | 15 | 4 | 622 | 94 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2015 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 12 | 6 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2024 | 9 | 1 | |
| Total | 82 | 19 | |
- Scores and results list Germany's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Gündoğan goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2013 | Grundig Stadion, Nuremberg, Germany | 7 |  Kazakhstan |
3–0 | 4–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 2 | 14 August 2013 | Fritz-Walter-Stadion, Kaiserslautern, Germany | 8 |  Paraguay |
1–2 | 3–3 | Friendly | |
| 3 | 13 June 2015 | Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal | 11 |  Gibraltar |
3–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying | |
| 4 | 7 September 2015 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 13 |  Scotland |
3–2 | 3–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying | |
| 5 | 11 June 2019 | Opel Arena, Mainz, Germany | 33 |  Estonia |
4–0 | 8–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying | |
| 6 | 13 October 2019 | Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia | 35 | Estonia |
1–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying | |
| 7 | 2–0 | |||||||
| 8 | 6 September 2020 | St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland | 39 |  Switzerland |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 9 | 25 March 2021 | MSV-Arena, Duisburg, Germany | 43 |  Iceland |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 10 | 31 March 2021 | MSV-Arena, Duisburg, Germany | 45 |  Macedonia |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 11 | 7 June 2021 | Merkur Spiel-Arena, Düsseldorf, Germany | 46 |  Latvia |
2–0 | 7–1 | Friendly | |
| 12 | 11 November 2021 | Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg, Germany | 53 |  Liechtenstein |
1–0 | 9–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 13 | 14 November 2021 | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia | 54 |  Armenia |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 14 | 3–0 | |||||||
| 15 | 14 June 2022 | Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany | 60 |  Italy |
2–0 | 5–2 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 16 | 26 September 2022 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | 62 |  England |
1–0 | 3–3 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 17 | 23 November 2022 | Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar | 64 |  Japan |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup | |
| 18 | 14 October 2023 | Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford, United States | 70 |  United States |
1–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 19 | 19 June 2024 | MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany | 79 |  Hungary |
2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Honours and Awards
Borussia Dortmund
- Bundesliga: 2011–12
- DFB-Pokal: 2011–12
- DFL-Supercup: 2013
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012–13
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
- FA Cup: 2018–19, 2022–23
- EFL Cup: 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21
- FA Community Shield: 2018, 2019
- UEFA Champions League: 2022–23
Germany
Individual Awards
- kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2012–13
- ESM Team of the Season: 2012–13, 2020–21
- PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2020–21
- Premier League Game Changer of the Season: 2021–22
- Premier League Player of the Month: January 2021, February 2021
- UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020–21
- Manchester City Goal of the Season: 2022–23
- Footballer of the Year in Germany: 2023
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2023–24
See also
In Spanish: İlkay Gündoğan para niños
