Manchester City’s newly acquired left-back Sergio Gomez has opened up on the impact that former club captain Vincent Kompany had on his career and his decision to move to the Premier League.
The deal, which has seen Gomez join Manchester City on a four-year contract, ends the Etihad club's scramble to find another left-back.
This comes after Oleksandr Zinchenko’s departure to Arsenal in July of this summer.
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When the 21 year-old initially heard about interest from the reigning Premier League champions, he has revealed talking things over with former club captain and coach Vincent Kompany.
The former Belgium international in turn encouraged him to come to Manchester, as it would be more than a stepping stone in his career.
Gomez revealed, “I talked to him (Vincent Kompany) a few days ago, when I knew about (Manchester) City's interest in signing me.
“He was very happy for me.
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"He told me this would be a huge step in my career and that I was making the right decision by coming here.”
Vincent Kompany, who now manages Championship side Burnley, was the coach at RSC Anderlecht during Sergio Gomez’s time at the club.
It was the Belgian head coach who helped encourage the young Spaniard to make a change from playing in midfield - an area of the pitch in which Gomez had played in throughout his career at both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund.
Kompany’s willingness to play the Spaniard as a full-back gave him the confidence he needed to embark on a new challenge.
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“He called me and said I could do very well in that position,” continued the 21-year-old.
“To be honest I was a little bit surprised, I didn't expect it, but he seemed very sure about the decision, and that gave me confidence.”
Gomez, who grew up a Manchester City supporter, felt that it was more than an honour to play under such an impactful figure in Kompany.
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“It was an honour (to play for him) because I was a City fan when I was a kid and Kompany was the captain, a role model for all of us,” said Gomez.
“I will always be thankful to have worked with him, especially after how well we did last season.”
To end their previous campaign, Anderlecht qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League’s third qualifying round, after placing third in the Jupiler Pro League.
Topics: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Premier League, Football
Declan Harris