Gary Neville heaped praise on a Manchester City star he feels is not Pep Guardiola’s usual kind of player, during yesterday’s win over West Ham United.
City won the Premier League title for an eighth time, beating the Hammers 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
Phil Foden scored twice and Rodri grabbed a third for City, as they held off the challenge from Arsenal, who beat Everton 2-1 in the final day.
City made history by winning the Premier League title for the fourth year in a row, and attention will now turn to the FA Cup final with Manchester United, after a few days of recovery of course.
Foden was the headline-maker yesterday with his brace, and it was another outstanding display from the 2023/24 Premier League Player of the Season.
But one man who also had a really good game was Jeremy Doku. He was preferred out on the left to Jack Grealish, and the Belgian youngster provided an assist for Foden’s second goal. He was a constant threat, and Gary Neville believes City are sitting on a serious talent…
Gary Neville claims Jeremy Doku is an untypical Pep Guardiola player, but Man City have a ‘rough diamond’
Doku joined Manchester City in a £55 million deal last summer, coming in from French club Rennes.
The electric star has impressed in his first season in English football, with his frightening acceleration and dribbling often getting fans out of their chairs.
He has returned six goals and 10 assists in 44 appearances, and the 21-year-old can be pleased with those numbers given he has been in competition with Jack Grealish and others for minutes.
Doku was a real livewire against West Ham on Sunday. Vladimir Coufal looked frightened every time the City man got the ball, and midway through the first-half, Gary Neville praised the winger.
He said on Sky Sports: “He’s probably different than you’d expect a Pep Guardiola winger to be. The Pep Guardiola wingers have always been very efficient and very meticulous.
“They’re not really off-the-cuff or unpredictable. He is. He’s a rough diamond that needs polishing and I’m sure that’s what’s going to happen here.”
Doku has so much potential
Doku can hold his head high following his first season at Manchester City. Obviously, there is still one game left against United in the FA Cup final, but regardless of what happens there, Doku has been great.
Sometimes people can forget that he is still only 21. He arrived at the club for big money, and as a result there were expectations on him to deliver quickly.
Doku has definitely caught the eye in his first season, and was arguably a tad unfortunate not to make the shortlist for Young Player of the Season.
Undoubtedly, there are still lots of things he must work on. Particularly his work out of possession, which is so important, and something all players working under Pep must do to a high standard.
Once he brings his defensive discipline up to scratch, then we will be talking about a much better player.
Certainly though, his directness and unpredictability make him a major threat, and it’s going to be very exciting to watch him develop.