“Can’t explain how good this guy is” – Manchester City star glows over former teammate in heartfelt Instagram post

Manchester City forward Jack Grealish has glowed with praise on Instagram this week over a European Championship performance put out by one former Etihad teammate.

The England international himself is not present at this summer’s games, having been excluded from Gareth Southgate’s selection for the competition following a difficult season as a whole with Manchester City.

With some crediting a difficult time coming to terms with life post-Treble, Manchester City’s number 10 found himself battling a string of injuries across the course of last season, with groin problems hampering his attempts to secure a consistent place in the eleven.

Now, Jack Grealish is spending his summer ensuring that he is at his peak physical fitness by the time Pep Guardiola and his squad return for pre-season action in late July, whilst also keeping one eye on events unfolding in Germany.

Writing on Instagram during Germany’s 2-0 win over Hungary in the group stage of the ongoing European Championships, Grealish was keen to recognise the standards being set by former Manchester City teammate Ilkay Gundogan.

The Treble-winning captain of Pep Guardiola’s side proved he certainly still has what it takes to perform at the very highest level of the game, providing both a goal and an assist for Jamal Musiala to secure his nation’s place in the knock-out stages of the tournament this summer.

Given his performances during their time together at the Etihad, Grealish is all too familiar with Gundogan’s talents, as he exclaimed on Instagram during the game, “Can’t explain how good this guy is man. Honestly one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing with.”

Ilkay Gundogan will go down in Manchester City history following his exploits for the club across the course of a seven-year stay after joining from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2016.

Gundogan’s exit to Barcelona at the end of last season gave the German little to no opportunity to bid farewell to Manchester City’s support, and as such he has plans to return in the near future to show his love for the fanbase’s unwavering affection for him during his time.

“This is my plan. I hope so. If not on the pitch next season, I will hopefully certainly find another opportunity. The Club, this team and the City fans will always be worth a visit,” he told the official club website during an interview last month.