The German made over 300 appearances in sky blue after moving to the Etihad Stadium in 2016, but has decided to call time on his City career to join Barcelona.
Our first signing under Pep Guardiola, Gundogan has been at the centre of an incredible seven seasons under the Catalan’s stewardship and leaves the Club with an outstanding legacy.
Taking over the captain’s armband ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, the midfielder has consistently turned up in decisive moments, grabbing two goals in our dramatic 3-2 title-winning victory over Aston Villa in 2022 as well as a brace in this season’s FA Cup final triumph against Manchester United.
But for all of the 32-year-old’s achievements on the pitch, he’s also endeavoured to use his platform to make a difference away from the field.
Whether it be supporting businesses affected by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic or donating meals to those in need during Ramadan, below is a breakdown of some of the incredible gestures of goodwill that the German made during his time at the Club.
Gundogan celebrates milestone birthday with charity visits – October 2020
The German celebrated his 30th birthday during the COVID-19 pandemic by making special socially distanced visits to people supported by social care charity Community Integrated Care.
He held a surprise visit at EachStep Blackley – a specialist dementia care home – providing gifts to residents, including exclusive memorabilia, as well as streaming subscriptions to allow them to watch live football.
Gundogan also visited St Annes House in Tameside – a service that supports people with autism, learning disabilities and other enduring needs.
It’s an act of kindness that he’s since continued for both his 31st and 32nd birthdays.
Gundogan reveals pride at Integrated Care ambassadorship – January 2021
Following his visit to EachStep Blackley and St Annes House on his 30th birthday, Ilkay was invited to become an ambassador for Community Integrated Care.
One of the UK’s largest health and social care charities, they aim to support and enrich the lives of people with a range of care needs.
As well as birthday visits, Gundogan also recently organised for local Turkish restaurants to deliver food to care homes involved with the charity to enjoy while watching City’s 1-0 Champions League Final triumph over Inter.
Gundogan launches campaign to support Manchester cafes and restaurants – January 2021
The German launched a charity campaign to support local businesses across Greater Manchester in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, auctioning off a series of special prizes.
These included a personal meet-and-greet, once government restrictions had been lifted, as well as signed match worn shirts from fixtures against Chelsea, Crystal Palace and Manchester United.
His boots from our 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion that season were also available as part of the auction.
Gundogan donates meals to those in need across Indonesia – April 2021
As part of a joint venture with City fans, Gundogan sent over 3,000 meals and food parcels to Indonesia during Ramadan.
This included donating provisions to an orphanage in the capital city of Jakarta, with the Asian country representing the world’s largest Muslim population.
He also sent gifts, such as City shirts with his name and number printed on the back, working closely with City’s Official Supporters’ Club in Indonesia to deliver the packages to those in need.
Gundogan launches campaign to raise funds for young girl’s life-saving treatment – April 2021
The German auctioned off his match-worn shirt from City’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash with Borussia Dortmund, with the proceeds being used to help fund an eight-year-old girl’s life-saving surgery.
Dilara Abanoglu was diagnosed with Ollier’s Disease – an extremely rare bone disease which affects one in 100,000 people – during the first year of her life.
Treatment of the disease is incredibly difficult, but the money raised from Gundogan’s shirt auction allowed the youngster’s family to fund the operation.
Gundogan pledges to plant 5,000 trees in response to recent natural disasters – October 2021
The midfielder paid for 5,000 trees to be planted in Germany and Turkey to help in their response to natural disasters in October 2021.
Large parts of Germany experienced severe flooding in July of that year, while Turkey was affected by devastating wildfires due to soaring temperatures.
Born and raised in Germany to Turkish parents, both countries remain close to Gundogan’s heart and, in a bid to help them recover, he also auctioned unique ‘money can’t buy’ packages such as tickets, boots and shirts from his career to date.
Gundogan named German football ambassador – June 2022
Gundogan’s positive contributions to those in need around the world saw him named German football ambassador 2022.
The award is given to those who have shown great sporting success and/or social commitment abroad, and who have contributed to Germany’s positive image in the world.
He used the fund to support Manchester charity Community Integrated Care.
