Ilkay Gundogan

IIkay Gundogan: A Brief Biography

Ilkay Gundogan, the versatile German professional footballer, has showcased his skills as a midfielder for Manchester City in the Premier League and the German national team. He initially joined Borussia Dortmund in 2011 before transferring to Manchester City in 2016, where he played until 2023. Beginning his journey in youth soccer at the age of 8, he later made his professional debut for VfL Bochum II in 1993. Having progressed through the U18-U21 levels, he earned a place in Germany's senior national team in 2011. In December 2008, he made his professional debut for VfL Bochum in a Regionalliga West match against Eintracht Trier, which unfortunately resulted in a 3-2 defeat for his team. Making his first international appearance for the German National Team in October 2011, Gundogan substituted for Phillip Lahm with just six minutes remaining in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match against Belgium. Furthermore, on June 3, 2023, Gundogan achieved a historic feat by scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup final history, a remarkable long-range volley within 12 seconds of the 2023 final against Manchester United. The match concluded with a 2-1 victory for Manchester City, with Gundogan contributing the second goal through a second volley.

Early Life & Parents

Born on October 24, 1990, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Ilkay Gundogan took his first steps into the world. He holds German nationality and belongs to the German-white ethnicity. His religious affiliation is Islam, and he identifies as being of a white race. At present, he is 32 years old and falls under the zodiac sign of Scorpio. His father, Irfan Gundogan, and mother, Ayten Gundogan, welcomed him into their family, where he grew up alongside his brother, Ilker Gundogan.

In terms of his education, Ilkay honed his game and skills through his participation in the youth academies of SV Gelsenkirchen-Hessler 06, Schalke 04, SSV Buer, and VfL Bochum.

Football Career

• Ilkay Gundogan commenced his professional journey by initially playing for the reserve team of his club before securing a contract with FC Nurnberg, a Bundesliga club, in 2009. It was during his fourth Bundesliga match on September 19, 2009, in an away game against Bayern Munich, that he provided his first assist, a notable achievement in his career. Subsequently, he scored his inaugural goal for Nurnberg on February 20, 2010, during a home match against Bayern Munich.

Borussia Dortmund

• Gundogan entered into a four-year contract with Borussia Dortmund on May 5, 2011, another Bundesliga club. He made his debut on July 23 in the 2011 DFL-Supercup match against Schalke. Despite a goalless draw at the Arena Auf Schalke, Gundogan showcased his skills during the penalty shoot-out, scoring Dortmund's first attempt, although they ultimately lost 4-3. On December 17, he scored his first goal for Dortmund in a 4-1 victory against SC Freiburg.
• On February 22, 2012, Gundogan played for the club's reserves, being substituted by Rico Benatelli at halftime in a 2-1 triumph over 1. FC Kaiserslautern II at the Stadion Rote Erde. On March 20, he scored a crucial 120th-minute goal, leading Dortmund to a victory over Greuther Furth and advancing to the 2012 DFB-Pokal final. He played the full final match on May 12, a remarkable 5-2 triumph over Bayern Munich, securing Dortmund's first domestic double.
• In the 2012-13 season, Gundogan played a central role for Borussia Dortmund as they reached the final of the 2013 UEFA Champions League. He received praise for his performances in the two-legged semi-final matches against Real Madrid. On May 25, 2013, he scored the equalizer from a penalty kick in the 69th minute during the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at Wembley Stadium in London, keeping Dortmund's hopes alive. This goal marked his first regular-time penalty kick for Dortmund. However, Bayern Munich ultimately emerged as the winners with a 2-1 scoreline.
• Gundogan also scored in the 2013 DFL Supercup on July 27, contributing to Dortmund's 4-2 victory over rivals Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, in August, he suffered a back injury while on international duty, which sidelined him for an entire year. In April 2014, Gundogan signed a new contract with Dortmund, extending his stay at the club until 2016.
• During the penalty shootout against Bayern Munich on April 28, 2015, Gundogan found the back of the net, propelling Dortmund to the 2015 DFB-Pokal final. However, two days later, it was announced that he and Dortmund would not be renewing their contract upon its expiration on June 30, 2015. Surprisingly, on July 1, 2015, Gundogan signed a contract extension, prolonging his stay at Dortmund until June 2017.

Manchester City

• Gundogan joined Manchester City on June 2, 2016, a Premier League club, on a four-year contract, marking him as the club's first signing under former Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola. The transfer fee was estimated to be £20 million. He made his debut on September 14 in a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Borussia Monchengladbach, after a four-month absence from the pitch. City emerged victorious with a 4-0 win, and Gundogan played a role in winning a penalty that was converted by Sergio Aguero. 
• Just three days later, Gundogan started in the squad and scored with a low, right-footed shot in a 4-0 home victory against AFC Bournemouth. He continued his impressive performance by scoring twice against West Bromwich Albion in a 4-0 win at The Hawthorns on October 29, 2016. Additionally, he netted two goals against Barcelona in a 3-1 home victory during the group stages of the Champions League.
• However, Gundogan faced a setback on December 14 in a Premier League game against Watford when he was substituted in the 44th minute due to knee ligament damage. Guardiola announced that the injury would keep him out of action for several months. Later examinations confirmed that Gundogan had torn his cruciate ligament in his right knee, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.
• After a nine-month absence, he made his return to the Manchester City squad as a substitute in their 6-0 Premier League victory over Watford on September 16, 2017. Three months later, he scored his first goal of the season with a header, assisted by Leroy Sane, in a 4-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur. On February 13, 2018, he scored a brace, with one goal in each half, as City won 4-0 against FC Basel in the away leg of their round-of-sixteen tie in the Champions League. On March 4, he set two Premier League passing records in a 1-0 home win over Chelsea, making the most passes attempted (174) and completed (167) in a single game, surpassing the previous records held by his former City teammate Yaya Toure.
• In August 2019, Gundogan signed a four-year contract extension with Manchester City. He faced a temporary setback on September 21, 2020, when he tested positive for COVID-19 and had to self-isolate for ten days. After recovering, he returned to the squad and scored his first Premier League goal of the season on December 15 in a 1-1 home draw against West Bromwich Albion.
• On February 7, 2021, he scored twice in a 4-1 away league victory over Liverpool, securing City's first win at Anfield since 2003. He was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month for his outstanding performances throughout January, and then again in March 2021, becoming the first Manchester City player to win consecutive Player of the Month awards for the club. He finished the league season as City's top goalscorer with 13 goals. On May 29, he played in his second Champions League final, which ended in a 1-0 defeat against Chelsea.
• Gundogan scored two goals in a 3-2 home victory against Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season on May 22, 2022, securing the title for Manchester City. He was chosen by his teammates as the club captain on August 14, 2022, following the departure of Fernandinho. On May 6, 2023, he scored both goals in a 2-1 win over Leeds United, securing City's 10th consecutive league victory during the 2022-2023 Premier League season. Additionally, he scored two goals against Everton on May 14, including a clever flick and a well-taken free kick, receiving praise from Guardiola for his quality and importance. These performances played a significant role in Manchester City's triumph in the 2022-2023 Premier League.
• On June 3, 2023, Gundogan achieved the fastest goal in FA Cup final history, scoring a long-range volley within 12 seconds of the 2023 final against Manchester United. Manchester City won the match 2-1, with Gundogan scoring the second goal through another volley. He received high praise from journalist Phil McNulty for his magnificent performance and was voted the man of the match by readers of BBC Sport. On June 10, he won his first Champions League title as Manchester City defeated Inter Milan 1-0 in the final, with Gundogan becoming the first captain to lift the European Cup for the club.

International career

• Gundogan received his first invitation to join the German senior team in August 2011 for a friendly against Brazil after playing for various youth teams. However, he did not make an appearance in the game. On October 11, he made his debut for Germany, substituting captain Philipp Lahm for the final six minutes of a 3-1 victory against Belgium in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match at the Esprit Arena in Dusseldorf.
• In May 2012, he was included in the German squad for Euro 2012. Although Germany reached the semi-finals, Gundogan did not feature in the tournament. He scored his first goal for Germany on March 26, 2013, in a 4-1 victory against Kazakhstan during a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Grundig Stadion in Nuremberg. 
• In the following friendly match on August 14, he scored his second goal as Germany came from 2-0 down to draw 3-3 against Paraguay at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Kaiserslautern. Unfortunately, a back injury forced him off the field and sidelined him for a year, causing him to miss the 2014 World Cup, which Germany ultimately won.
• Gundogan returned to international football on March 25, 2015, in a friendly match against Australia, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He participated in the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, scoring in a 7-0 away victory over Gibraltar on June 14, 2015, and in a 3-2 win against Scotland at Hampden Park on September 7.
• On May 6, 2016, it was announced that Gundogan would be unable to participate in Euro 2016 due to injury. However, he was included in the squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, announced in June 2018. On May 19, 2021, he was selected for the squad in Euro 2020. As well, he was named in the 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar on 10 November 2022.

Awards and Achievements

Borussia Dortmund

• Bundesliga: 2011-2012
• DFB-Pokal: 2011-2012; runner-up: 2014-2015
• DFL-Supercup: 2013
• UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2012-2013 

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2020-2021, 2021-2022, 2022-2023
• FA Cup: 2018-2019, 2022-2023
• EFL Cup: 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021 
• FA Community Shield: 2018, 2019 
• UEFA Champions League: 2022-2023;  runner-up: 2020-2021 

Individual

• kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 2012-2013 
• ESM Team of the Season: 2012-2013, 2020-2021 
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2020-2021 
• Premier League Game Changer of the Season: 2021-2022 
• Premier League Player of the Month: January 2021, February 2021 
• UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season: 2020-2021 
• Manchester City Goal of the Season: 2022-2023

Who is Ilkay Gundogan married to?

Ilkay Gundogan, the married footballer, tied the knot with Sara Arfaoui in 2022. The couple is blessed with one child. Sara is not only known for her role as an actress and TV personality but also as a presenter. She has made a notable contribution to the modeling industry and has worked on the Italian channel Ray 1, including the production of Jhooth Aaya. Ilkay and Sara share a strong bond, and their relationship indicates that they are committed to each other without any involvement with other individuals. Prior to his marriage, Ilkay was in a romantic relationship with Sila Sahin, a German Turkish actress and model. Their relationship lasted for two years, from 2013 to 2015, before they decided to part ways. The separation was amicable and based on mutual understanding. It is important to note that Ilkay identifies as straight when considering his sexual orientation.

How much does Ilkay Gundogan earn?

Ilkay Gundogan stands out as an individual with a diverse range of experiences, and he remains dedicated to every endeavor he undertakes. As of 2023, his net worth is estimated at $25 million, and he earns a salary of £7,280,000 per season. His income stems from various sources, including contracts, salaries, bonuses, and endorsements. In 2009, he made a move to 1. FC Nurnberg, and in 2011, he signed a four-year contract with Borussia Dortmund for an approximate transfer fee of €4 million. Later, in 2016, he joined Manchester City for an estimated transfer fee of £21 million. Ilkay has a personal endorsement deal with Adidas, which entails wearing Adidas footwear during his professional matches. Additionally, he has appeared in television commercials for Adidas. His current market value is €20.00m, with his highest market value recorded at €50.00m on June 13, 2019. It is worth noting that his primary source of income is his successful football career.

Ilkay Gundogan height, weight, and size

Ilkay Gundogan has a height of 1.80m, equivalent to 5 feet and 11 inches, and a body weight of 80kg. He possesses an athletic body build, complemented by his distinctive features. His eyes are dark brown, and his hair color is black. Additionally, he is often seen sporting a trimmed beard and mustache, which adds to his unique appearance.