Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has stated that 22-year-old defender Josko Gvardiol initially struggled to adapt at the Premier League club but has since gained confidence, especially with his recent goal-scoring contributions during the title run-in.
Gvardiol, who plays as a left back, joined the treble winners from German club RB Leipzig in August, signing a five-year deal for a reported fee of 90 million euros ($97 million).
Despite not scoring in his first 32 appearances for City, the Croatian international has now scored five goals in his last seven matches, significantly aiding his team’s pursuit of a record fourth successive title.
“And you cannot forget it is his first Premier League season… so it is not easy to handle it and he struggled in the beginning a little bit, because he came into a team that had just won the treble and he was a little bit shy.
“He signed for many, many years and he has proved to himself that he can do it and play with us.”
Guardiola gave his players three days off after their 5-1 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers this month.
“On the first day, he (Gvardiol) went into the training centre to make a recovery, so his focus is football and he wants to be better and better and when this happens, you have something special on your hands,” the Spaniard said.
City, second in the table with 85 points and one behind Arsenal who have played a game more, travel to fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.