Manchester City’s Nathan Ake is now a more complete player than ever before, thanks to working under Pep Guardiola.
That’s according to journalist Kees Kist, who has praised the defender following the Netherlands win over Poland last night.
Ake started that game, which the Dutch won 2-0 thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo and Steven Bergwijn, playing in a back three alongside Virgil van Dijk and Jurrien Timber.
He impressed once again, building on a solid start to the season at Manchester City, where he has started three of their seven Premier League appearances so far thanks to an injury to Aymeric Laporte.
He’s largely been used as a back up since arriving from Bournemouth in 2020, making just nine starts in the Premier League in his first year and ten last season.
Despite that, Guardiola has shown faith in him when called upon and that has reflected in the national team, where he is a regular under Van Gaal.
Like most players at Manchester City under Guardiola, he has developed considerably, though, and Kist believes that is noticeable.
“I thought Nathan played very well,” Voetbal Primeur report him saying.
“A year and a half back I still had my doubts, I say in all honesty. But Nathan works every day under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and from that coach I think he learned a lot.
“He is exhibiting that at this stage of his career. He has grown because more is demanded of him every day by Guardiola than was ever asked of him in the past.”
