Tijjani Reijnders of Manchester City is a huge fan of two superstars who cemented their legacies at Old Trafford and the Emirates as Manchester United and Arsenal legends.
Reijnders joined City this summer from AC Milan, with Pep Guardiola keen on bringing in a creative midfielder to help fill the void left by club legend Kevin De Bruyne.
During his short time at the Etihad, the Dutchman has already impressed and looks like a bright prospect for the Cityzens.
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The 27-year-old says he learned his trade by watching Premier League and Dutch greats, including Robin van Persie and Dennis Bergkamp.
Reijnders on Robin van Persie and Dennis Bergkamp
Speaking with Sky Sports, Reijnders was asked why the Premier League was so popular in the Netherlands. He pointed to Dutch idols such as Bergkamp and Van Persie.
“I think when we were young, we watched a lot of Premier League. So, yeah – 100%. There were players like Bergkamp and Van Persie.
“You grew up with it, you looked up to those guys, and I was always like, ‘Ah, hopefully one day I can be on that stage as well.’ Always the dream,” Reijnders said.
That dream has now been fulfilled in Manchester, though not with the clubs where his idols made their names.
Bergkamp is considered one of Arsenal’s greatest players of all time, while Van Persie made his name at the Emirates before cementing his Premier League legacy with Manchester United in the later stages of his career.
Reijnders speaks on Man City boss Pep Guardiola
Reijnders also spoke about the influence his new boss is already having on him.
“Especially the positional game when we have ball possession – how he wants us to play with everybody close to each other.
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“That’s something you don’t see a lot in football at other teams. How we play, how we can control the game – those are things I’ve learned and tried to adapt to as quickly as possible,” he explained.
The midfielder looks set to continue developing under the legendary Spanish manager, with plenty more to come from him in a City shirt.