Just over a year after departing the club for a lucrative contract with Barcelona, Ilkay Gundogan has made his return to Manchester City.

The retired German international and former club captain left on a triumphant note, having led the Citizens to a historic treble before moving to Catalonia in 2023.

After being excluded from Hansi Flick's squad for his first La Liga match with Barcelona, discussions about a return to the Etihad gained momentum.

On Friday, it was confirmed that the 33-year-old had finalised his return and would wear the number 19 this season.

The midfielder, who previously wore number eight, shared the reasoning behind his new choice.

During his first tenure at the club, Gundogan wore the number eight, but he couldn't reclaim it due to Mateo Kovacic taking over the jersey.

Although numbers 21 and 22 were available—both of which he had worn while playing for his national team and Barcelona—he ultimately chose the number 19 for his return.

While this choice might seem unusual, Gundogan offered a touching explanation for his decision via the club's official website:

"There was a little bit of thinking behind it. Numbers 21 and 22 were free as well – I was 22 last year at Barcelona and 21 in the German National Team, but I didn’t win any trophies with these numbers, so I thought number 19 was between 18 and 20 – my two friends Bernardo Silva and Stefan Ortega so that might be a sign.