'He's irreplaceable' - Ilkay Gundogan heaps praise on departing Kevin De Bruyne and hails legendary midfielder as greatest player ever for Man City

The German midfielder was speaking exclusively with ESPN ahead of the Citizens FA Cup semi final tie with Nottingham Forest. When asked about his departing team-mate, the 34-year-old was effusive in his praise, saying the Belgian playmaker is "irreplaceable".

Gundogan went on to call De Bruyne the best player in the club's history, and sharing a pitch with him has been a "pleasure". De Bruyne has won 14 major trophies in his ten seasons in the east side of Manchester.

Ilkay Gundogan said: "He's irreplaceable. We know that no one will just come and be a replacement for him. Of course it will be covered somehow. The club always does that.

"What Kev has done for the club is unbelievable. For me personally, in the history of Man City, there is no better player than Kevin De Bruyne. It's been a pleasure for me to share a pitch with him for such a long time.

"I've had that connection with him off the pitch so it's been a privilege to get to know him and his family."

It's been a disappointing season for the Sky Blues, but they still find themselves in the hunt for another major trophy. De Bruyne will hope to end his career at the club with an FA Cup win, but first the Citizens have to get past an obdurate opponent in Nuno Espirito Santo's Nottingham Forest.