Manchester City January signing Nico Gonzalez has admitted he was left shocked by how often he saw Kevin de Bruyne in the gym.
DAZN Futbol have an interview with the Manchester City midfielder today in which he discusses De Bruyne, and how he mocked him when he first joined the club.
The 23-year-old joined Manchester City in a €60m move from Porto as part of their big spending in the January transfer window but endured something of a rocky start to life at the Etihad.
He was handed his debut in the 2-1 win over Leyton Orient in the FA Cup at the beginning of February but lasted just 22 minutes in that game before being forced off with an injury.
That was a hugely disappointing moment for him, but it appears De Bruyne didn’t hold back in taking the opportunity to joke about it.
“During my first match, I injured myself after fifteen or twenty minutes. He couldn’t stop teasing me about it. I was absent for three days and he’s a real joker,” he said.
That injury handed Gonzalez a unique opportunity to see De Bruyne up close and personal as he also worked to ensure his fitness.
The Belgian midfielder has made it clear that this year is the first one in several in which he has been completely injury free, after several years of niggling injuries across the campaign limiting his influence.
He recently showed what he can do injury free with his shining display in the win over Crystal Palace, after which he admitted he glad to just be free of injuries. González has now praised him for the work he puts in behind the scenes.
“What really struck me about him is how often I see him in the gym,” he said.
“He’s there every time before training. The fact that a top player like him does that inspires you and puts you under pressure.”
