Guardiola has made me a better player, says Doku

Belgian forward Jeremy Doku credited Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola with helping improve his game but said he had not heard from him during the European Championship.

Doku, 22, is one of the emerging stars of the Belgium side, and fresh from a successful first season in the Premier League in which he won the title with City.

“Thanks to City I know more about football. I’m now playing with better players, playing against better teams and that has changed me. I have learned a lot from both good moments and difficult moments,” he told a press conference on Monday.

“Pep is very intense, he has a lot of passion. He’s a perfectionist and when you play at City you also become a perfectionist. I had a lot of moments when I thought I did well and then he comes and says to me ‘you could done this or that differently’. I’ve learnt a lot from him.

“But he knows what kind of player I am. He picked me because of my qualities. Not to change me. He trusts me to make the right decisions.”

Doku said, however, he had had no contact with his club manager while Germany for Euro 2024.

“He hasn’t sent me any messages but I’m sure he watches the games … or maybe not, because he watches a lot of games. Maybe he’s off playing golf. But he does care about the players.”