Having been rejected as an eight-year-old by Schalke 04, Ilkay Gundogan is relishing returning to Gelsenkirchen with Manchester City in what could potentially be a one-sided Champions League clash.
While Pep Guardiola's high-flying City are top the Premier League table, Schalke, Wednesday's opponents in the last 16, first-leg clash, are just above the Bundesliga's relegation places and struggling to score goals down in 14th place.
Like City's Germany winger Leroy Sane, Gundogan, 28, began his career at Schalke's academy, but despite having been rejected as a child after only one season, there will be no element of revenge come kick-off at the Veltins Arena.
"I have (forgiven them), but it wasn't always so," Gundogan told German magazine Kicker with a grin.
"At the time, due to growth spurts, I had physical problems and couldn't play any sports for half a year, so I dropped out. Three or four years later, Schalke attempted to contact me, but I was a bit resentful.
"I just wanted to play football with my closest friends rather than be back in an academy."
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"Schalke have nothing to lose - we have a lot - which raises the pressure on us."
"I am looking forward to the game, because I grew up there and a lot of people were Schalke fans."
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