Tuesday, 18th June, 2013
Highly-rated Borussia Dortmund schemer Ilkay Gundogan has revealed that Bayern Munich star midfielder and Germany compatriot Bastian Schweinsteiger has inspired his thoughts on football.
The 22-year-old Germany international won plaudits for his displays with the Borussians last season. He clocked up 28 appearances in the Bundesliga under manager Jurgen Klopp, scoring and assisting three times.
The former Schalke player also earned rave reviews for his performances with the Black Yellows in the 2012/13 Champions League, where his side reached the final. He appeared 12 times, scoring and assisting once.
Gundogan has poured praise on Schweinsteiger, who also has a similar style of play as the 22-year-old, and has insisted that the Bavarian schemer has influenced him.
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“He has done a lot for German football. His playing style has influenced my thoughts on football”, Gundogan told Kicker.
While Gundogan has appeared a total of 103 matches in the German top flight, Schweinsteiger, 28, has appeared 299 times.
The two were also pitted against each other in the final of the Champions League last month at Wembley, where Jupp Huynckes’ side earned a 2-1 victory.
Looking forward to the upcoming season, Gundogan has his sights on overtaking Bayern Munich – who achieved a historic treble last season.
“It has always been brutally hard to beat them [Bayern], but we have often enough shown that we can also perform well.
“It must continue to be our goal. We must not allow ourselves to back down”, he added.
Gundogan lifted the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund in the 2011/12 season.
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