Ilkay Gundogan surprises fans by naming Everton star as among 'toughest' opponents

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Everton defender as one of the toughest opponents he has faced in his career.According to the German midfielder, Yerry Mina is amongst the hardest opposition players he has come up against since joining Manchester City in 2016.Mina was absent from City's win at Everton on Saturday, with a thigh injury currently keeping him on the sidelines but he has played City five times in his career.His record against the Premier League champions, however, makes Gundogan's choice even more surprising, with Mina having lost all five matches and conceded 11 goals.Speaking to German outlet Bild, Gundogan said: “I remember Yerry Mina, a tough Colombian centre-back.“He’ll use his hands in a tackle, scratch or pinch your back when the referee isn’t looking.“I’ve seen him do that once or twice.

But not so much in a dirty way. He even smiles in your face in a friendly way, which makes him sympathetic in a funny way.“I didn’t know how to pinch the back before.”Do you agree with Ilkay Gundogan's choice of toughest opponent?

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You'll receive an email with all of the top news stories every single morning.You can find out more information on our email newsletter on this link here.Gundogan also highlighted the ability of Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante, adding: “He acts extremely hard.