Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has been praised for his understated, yet perfectly-delivered team-talk ahead of Saturday's Premier League clash with Leeds.
The 32-year-old midfielder helped the Citizens go four points clear of Arsenal in the Premier League title race with a monstrous contribution against Sam Allardyce's side.
He scored two first-half goals to give his side an early lead and, despite missing a penalty to seal his hat-trick, the German international deservedly picked up the Man of the Match award.
It was a near flawless performance from Gundogan, who rallied the troops before kick-off with a composed team-talk.
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Rather than scream at the top of his lungs to make his point heard, the midfielder delivered some clear and concise instructions to the likes of Erling Haaland and Manuel Akanji.
"Come on boys. We need to work today. Intensity and high pressing," he said. "They are going to be nervous. We need to do everything to win this game okay. [We are] not allowed to do any mistakes okay. From the start."
City went on to dominate possession for large spells against Leeds, especially in the first-half, and barely made a mistake as they extended their lead at the Premier League summit.
Gundogan, meanwhile, was commended for his cool, calm and collected speech.
One fan said: "A captain with great understanding of the game, tactically intelligent, technically brilliant and leading by example >>>> A loud, shouty, shite , tough man act footballer."
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A second wrote: "Same thing with Odegaard. People don’t think he’s a captain because he doesn’t scream at his teammates."
A third commented: "No screaming and shouting, no moaning at teammates. Plus he leads by example. My kinda captain."
A fourth added: "It’s obvious that Gundogan is going to become a coach."
Last year, City boss Pep Guardiola named Gundogan as the likeliest member of his current Manchester City squad to follow him into management.
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He told Sky Sports News: "Midfield players. I think [Ilkay] Gundogan would be [one]. There are many players who after they [retire], they get bored being at home with nothing to do, and after they become a manager.
"But I think midfield players have the chance to be managers - I think that players who think about the game as football as a global [game], not just think ‘me, me, me’.
"When these guys start to understand the game as a group, as a whole, they have the challenge to be a manager."
Gundogan, who has already achieved his UEFA B licence, has spent time working with the Under 16 players at Manchester City.
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In fact, his first session with the youngsters took place in February last year and was filmed by the club, with the footage being used in the CITY+ documentary 'Together: Champions Again!'.
You can see footage from the session in the video above.
Thoughts on Gundogan's team talk ahead of the Leeds game?
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Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/TikTokTopics: Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City, Erling Haaland, Premier League
