Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan has spoken of rejecting Schalke as a junior player.
Gundogan admits he turned down Schalke after they had first rejected him.
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He recalled to the Players’ Tribune: “I was eight years old when I realised how crude this business is. I achieved what every kid in Gelsenkirchen dreams of, playing at the Schalke 04 academy. I was so proud, just wearing that jersey was fantastic.
“When the season ended, Schalke let me go. Or rather, I’ll tell you how I felt: they slammed the door in my face. It was a very hard blow.
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“Three years later, Schalke wanted me to come back, I told my parents to say no, I didn’t want to come back. The pain was too recent.”