Former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan described his phone call with manager Pep Guardiola when he informed him that he would leave for Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

The 32-year-old told German outlet Bild that he could not say goodbye to Guardiola in person because he only decided to move after their UEFA Champions League triumph against Inter Milan last June.

Gundogan also had a game for the German national team coming up at that time, hence the conflict in schedule.

"The conversation was emotional, but Pep was also happy for me. I switched to the club that was close to his heart and his childhood, so to speak - and as a fan, he was very happy about that. He also told me: If I need anything, I should contact him at any time," Gundogan said, describing the exchange, which he called the most difficult phone call of his life.

Barcelona close to Guardiola's heart

Guardiola is notably a legend at FC Barcelona, spending most of his playing career with the La Liga side and managing the club to unprecedented success from 2008 to 2012.

Meanwhile, Gundogan was the first signing of Guardiola when he arrived at the Premier League club in 2016, and the German has consistently contributed to the club's massive success over the past few years.

In the end, Gundogan thinks that his time in Manchester ended at the perfect time, and he also noted that it was his childhood dream to play for Barcelona.