Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has explained that he turned down a reunion with his former manager Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool because he wanted to step out of his comfort zone.
Klopp and Gundogan worked together at Dortmund between 2011-2015 before the German boss made the move to Merseyside, and he reportedly wanted to sign Gundogan the following summer.
The 29-year-old, however, turned down the Reds in preference of working under Pep Guardiola at City, and speaking to FantasyPL Gundogan said he was looking for something new at the time.
"I believe in challenges in life and I always try to challenge myself first of all," he said. "I feel like if I don't challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone, I'm not going to change anything and won't improve.
"So I had a great four years with Jurgen and I love him as a person and a manager but I felt it was time for something else.
"I wanted to leave Dortmund in Dortmund and didn't want to think about the time I had with him when I was joining a new club. That was a bit of the reason why I didn't want to join Liverpool."
Gundogan will likely not regret the decision, as he has won seven trophies at City, including two Premier League titles and an FA Cup.
He has been an important part of the side ever since he joined, and has made 33 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring five goals, although he missed a penalty during City's 2-0 defeat to Tottenham in their last game.
Gundogan will likely play a big part in City's hectic upcoming schedule, with Guardiola's side facing three games in eight days when they take on West Ham and Leicester in the Premier League next week before the first leg on their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid the following Wednesday.
