Sergio Gomez's transfer to Manchester City got the thumbs up from Vincent Kompany, the new defender has revealed.
Gomez, 21, joins City for an initial £11m from Anderlecht, where he won Player of the Season last term under Kompany's management. Originally an attacking midfielder in his youth, Kompany moved Gomez back to left-back, where he scored seven goals and provided 15 assists for teammates last season.
Kompany left Anderlecht in the summer to join Burnley, with Gomez contacting his old manager before moving to City to get some advice - after Pep Guardiola had called Kompany for an insight on Gomez from a manager's perspective.
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“It was a pride working with him from the first day," Gomez said of Kompany. "I used to watch Manchester City when I was younger and he was the captain of the team. He was a role model for everybody. To me, it was an honour working with him and I'm very grateful to him for everything that happened last season at Anderlecht.
"I spoke to him a few days ago. I told him about an option to move to Manchester City and he told me he was very happy for me. He said he was proud of me for this big step in my career.”
On his Player of the Year award under Kompany, Gomez said he was driven by a desire to win, which translated into good indidivual performances.
He said: “We did a great season as a team. I was one of the most important players in the squad. I always try to help the team to win as much as I can. Winning is the only thing I want and matters to me. We did a great season together and the fans chose me as the best player of the season in the club. That made me really proud.
“I'm very familiar with [City's] football style. At the end of the day, I was brought up at FC Barcelona Academy, I spent 8 years in the youth ranks, so the football style is very similar. Also, last season I played under Kompany, who learnt a lot about that football style from his period working with Pep Guardiola.
"I really like the football style Manchester City play. I think I will fit in the football style very well. I know I'll have amazing teammates that will help me settle as soon as possible. Also, the coaching staff have also told me they will help me to fit me in as quickly as possible. I'm really looking forward to starting.”
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