German player Ilkay Gundogan scored his first major tournament goal against Japan on Wednesday, in the Group E match of FIFA World Cup 2022, as he calmly put the Germans in front after a penalty. 

Gundogan plays as a midfielder for Premier League club  Manchester City and the German national team.  He also captains the Premier League club Manchester City. 

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Who is Ilkay Gundogan? 

Gundogan’s cousin Naz Aydemir is a volleyball player for Fenerbahçe and the Turkish women’s national team. 

He came through VfL Bochum’s youth academy. In 2008, he began playing for the club’s reserve side before joining 1. FC Nürnberg the following season.

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In 2011, he was acquired by Borussia Dortmund and he won the double Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in his first season. In 2013, he aided die Borussen reach their first UEFA Champions League Final since 1997.

In the summer of 2016, Gundogan signed for Manchester City for an estimated transfer fee of £21 million. He won the Premier League in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022, the EFL Cup in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and the FA Cup in 2019.

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In 2011, Gundogan made his senior debut for Germany after previously being capped by Germany youth teams He was previously chosen in Germany’s squads for UEFA Euro 2012, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020.

Jürgen Klopp, Gundogan’s former coach at Borussia Dortmund, described him as an “intelligent and complete midfielder with numerous strengths”. Although he had a tough start in his career where he admitted “things hadn’t gone as well as I had thought”, Klopp said that the athlete’s “willingness to learn” and “great attitude” allowed him to excel in his career at the club.

Although Gundogan was majorly deployed as a wide midfielder, he was later able to establish himself in a more central role at Dortmund. When he was told to comment about his role switch, he said: “I came to the conclusion that playing wide wasn’t my strength. I feel fine playing as a defensive or central midfielder, but I also believe that I can hold my own as a playmaker.”