Defender Philippe Sandler has hailed Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola following his exit from the club.
Sandler brought an end to a three-year stay at the Etihad on deadline day of the January transfer window when he completed a free transfer to Dutch side Feyenoord.
He will be looking to kickstart his career back in the Netherlands after a frustrating few years for his career.
He managed just two appearances for Manchester City following his move there in 2018, while injuries meant loan spells at Troyes and Anderlecht yielded just two and 11 appearances, respectively.
Those are frustrating numbers for a 24-year-old footballer with plenty left to do in his career, and something he’ll be looking to rectify with his move to Feyenoord.
His time with Manchester City is now firmly in the rearview mirror, but it seems he holds no grudges, particularly against Guardiola, the man who handed him both of his appearances for the club.
“Of course, it’s a pity on the one hand, but for me, this was the moment I felt I had to leave”, he told De Telegraaf.
“I feel that my body really needs it to play a game every week. I learned a lot from Guardiola. Not only from him but also from the players.
“Many people always think you have to play matches to learn things, but I learned so much in training. I’m very happy and grateful that I was able to work with everyone there.
“Guardiola expects so much from you. Even if we only do a pass and kick exercise, everything has to go well.
“You get into a kind of trance, where you demand of yourself that every ball has to be good. He is such a lover; I have rarely seen people enjoy football so much.”
