Sports Nicknames - Gunny, Mr. Whippy, Captain Fantastisch

Ilkay Gundogan is a football midfield maestro for the German national team and a newfound club legend for Manchester City FC.



Ilkay Gundogan comes from Gelsenkirchens, the same small migrant city in Germany that Mesut Ozil and Leroy Sane are from. His first high profile contract was with Borussia Dortmund in 2011, where he played under Jurgen Klopp and next to Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus. In his first season in Dortmund the club won the domestic double by winning the league and the cup. The following year Borussia Dortmund famously made it all the way to the Champions League final, where they lost 2-1 to bitter rivals Bayern Munich. Gundogan scored in this game.

Ilkay Gundogan is a silky, tricky midfielder. He is creative and capable of providing an outstanding pass. In the summer of 2016 he signed a lucrative contract with Manchester City and has won numerous league titles playing under Pep Guardiola and with stars such as Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden. He recently established himself as a club legend by scoring 2 goals within minutes in an amazing comeback in the last round of the 2021/22 English Premier League to win his club the title. His goals in this game will go down in history.

Gundogan is known by an affectionate nickname "Gunny" and also "Mr. Whippy" in reference to an outstanding long distance goal and the Mr. Whippy ice cream brand. He has been a German senior international since 2011.



Another nickname has come up for Ilkay during the 2024 European Cup tournament. "Captain Fantastisch" was featured on an Adidas advertisement as the host nation Germany advanced to the knockout round of the competition.

--

Click for more Sports Nicknames