At 34 years old, German international Ilkay Gündoğan is beginning to visualize what life might look like once he hangs up his boots. While he insists that he still has plenty of football left in him, the midfielder isn’t ruling out a future in the sport from a different perspective: as a coach.

In an interview with Sport Bild, the current Manchester City player admitted he would love to kick-start his coaching career by working as an assistant to Pep Guardiola, a key figure in his playing journey. “There’s no better way to start out as a coach than alongside Pep. The examples in recent years show that starting as his assistant can open a lot of doors,” he said.

And he has a point. Look no further than Mikel Arteta, who spent three years at Guardiola’s side with City before taking charge of Arsenal. Under his leadership, the Gunners have returned to the top of the Premier League and are among the final four in this season’s Champions League. Another success story is Enzo Maresca, who worked under Guardiola, led Leicester City to the Championship title, and is now the head coach of Chelsea. Let’s not forget the late Tito Vilanova, who succeeded Guardiola at FC Barcelona in 2012.

“I still feel physically great”

Despite his growing interest in coaching, Gündoğan made it clear that he has no immediate plans to retire. “I feel in great shape and take good care of my body. I want to keep playing for at least two more years, maybe even three or four,” he said. He aims to stay at the highest level and continue contributing on the pitch, something he’s currently doing at Manchester City, the club he returned to after parting ways with Barcelona.

Reflecting on his departure from the Catalan side, the German explained: “I felt it was better to leave, especially because I sensed the club wanted that for financial reasons. I’m not the kind of person who clings to a contract if I’m not part of the plan.”

Now, with one more year on his deal in England, Gündoğan is focused on helping City secure a spot in the next Champions League and win the FA Cup, with the final against Crystal Palace set for May 17. A future on the sidelines can wait… for now.