Mateo Kovacic tips ‘special’ Manchester City teammate for National Team captaincy | OneFootball

Mateo Kovacic has lauded compatriot Josko Gvardiol for his quality and displays for Manchester City since his arrival and has tipped the young centre-half to go on and captain the Croatia National Team.

Gvardiol has gone under the radar in terms of how crucial he has been since his arrival to the Etihad Stadium from RB Leipzig months after Manchester City won a sensational treble in the 2022/23 campaign.

The 23-year-old has made 87 appearances in all competitions for the four-in-a-row Premier League champions in his first two seasons in England, outlining him importance to Pep Guardiola owing largely to his versatility and attacking instincts.

The highest scoring defender in the Premier League this season, Gvardiol has excelled at left-back – a position City are likely to invest in when the summer transfer window opens – in the presence of a wide array of options at Guardiola’s disposal since the Croatian’s arrival.

In a recent episode of the Official Man City Podcast, Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic heaped praise on his countryman and the diverse set of characteristics that have made Gvardiol one of the first name on Guardiola’s teamsheet since his arrival to England.

“Josko (Gvardiol) is special. I don’t want to praise too much but his qualities are amazing. We [Croatia] always had midfielders, great centre-backs; but he’s a player who can do everything,” said Kovacic.

“Sometimes you don’t know where to put him (Gvardiol) – so good going forward, also defending. His right foot, left foot, everything – and being Croatian is nice because he can dominate for years. “

Kovacic has been vital to Guardiola since his own arrival to Manchester City from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, proving to be a reliable outlet in midfielder – whether that is to compliment Ballon d’Or winner Rodri or to provide cover for the Spaniard.

The 30-year-old has tipped Gvardiol to go on and captain the Croatia National Team – quite possibly the ultimate compliment from a man who has won the UEFA Champions League numerous times with Real Madrid and been part of a squad that reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup final in Russia.

Kovacic added: “If he (Gvardiol) stays focused, has the mindset he has, he’ll be at the top for a long time. Luka (Modric) is captain and a few older players can fill this, but in a few years, he’ll be that guy.

“It’s not easy to come to a Treble-winning team at 21. It’s not easy to integrate because they’re all high on confidence and you want to show yourself. He (Gvardiol) has been absolutely amazing and when he had difficult moments, he dealt with it very well.”