Working under elite managers and the Football Manager game can help me lead a team in real life - Ilkay Gundogan's FM timeline

Having starred under some of the world’s best managers, Manchester City and Germany star Ilkay Gundogan certainly won’t be short of managerial wisdom should he elect for a future in the dugout.

But the midfielder believes that any success he may go on to find from the sidelines would equally owe to his experiences as an avid Football Manager gamer.

“Having been managed by some of the best managers in the world… it’s just natural to at least get a taste for it and see if it’s for me,” said Gundogan, who has already started his coaching badges.

“Believe it or not, I truly believe Football Manager can help. It has so many facets of the game, so many levels in terms of managing not just a team but a whole club.

“That’s probably the reason why I’m enjoying the game so much, because it feels so realistic.”

Gundogan is far from finished on the pitch yet, but is one of just a number of high-profile names in the game who are avid Football Manager players.

And he believes the game can also assist the current managers around the world.

“The database helps not just in terms of finding young talent and getting to explore more talent, and I also think the depth of the game can possibly help a lot of managers as well.”

The 31-year-old has been revisiting his career to date via his very own FM Timeline that plots the evolution of his stats in the game.

Watch the full interview in the video above.

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