Joining Manchester City "Was A Pretty Easy Choice": Tijjani Reijnders

NDTV

20 hours ago

Manchester City's new central midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, ahead of the 2025–26 Premier League season, shares his excitement about joining the club, his admiration for Pep Guardiola, and his ambitions for the campaign. In the conversation, the Dutch international opened up about his football journey, inspirations, settling into life at City, and his special connection with fans in India. Speaking on JioHotstar, Tijjani Reijnders expressed his excitement ahead of his Premier League debut:
"I'm really looking forward to the Premier League. I'm excited to play in what I think is the highest level of competition in football. I can't wait."
On why he chose Manchester City:
"It's one of the biggest clubs in the world, so in the end it was a pretty easy choice. Playing in the Premier League and competing for trophies every year — that's what attracts me the most."
Sharing what it means to wear the Manchester City jersey:
"It means a lot. It's a beautiful jersey, and it's always a proud moment to be able to wear it."
On playing under Pep Guardiola:
"It's a proud thing. He's one of the best coaches, and it feels nice playing under him, learning new things from him."
Reflecting on his early football journey:
"It started when I was pretty young. I was always playing football in the garden when I was 5 or 6 years old, so I already had the dream of becoming a professional player. But at the age of 12 or 13, I started to understand what I needed to do to make it happen, and that's when I knew it was possible."
On his favourite club while growing up:
"When I was younger, it was Barcelona, especially because of Messi and Iniesta. Those were players I loved to watch."
Speaking about his footballing heroes:
"Since the start, it was first Ronaldinho, and then it became Lionel Messi."
On facing English clubs before joining City:
"It's much more physical. The game goes quicker here — that's what I've experienced. So, I know I can expect that in the Premier League. It's lovely to play at this level."
When asked about settling in at Manchester City:
"I've settled down pretty well here. I found a nice house, my family is happy, and that makes me happy too. Coming into a group like this made it very easy to find my spot, and I got a lot of help when I needed it."
His goal, looking ahead to his first full season as a central midfielder:
"The duels in midfield against my direct opponent, and showing my strengths — coming into the box, being important for the team with goals or assists."
On the biggest challenge of being a box-to-box midfielder:
"I'll have to see. After a couple of games, I can probably say what the challenge will be. Right now, I don't know yet, to be honest."
Sharing how he has studied Kevin De Bruyne 's game:
"Kevin De Bruyne is always scanning the pitch, so he knows where to put the ball when he gets it. I try to include that in my game — looking around me so I know where the space is. It helps a lot."
On the key qualities every good midfielder must have:
"Passing, technique, dribbling, and scoring or assisting."
Reijnders also spoke about the biggest life lesson he has learned as a professional footballer:
"To be patient and to always believe in your strengths. When things don't go well on the pitch, you can always fall back on your basics — the qualities you can rely on."
When asked what comes to mind when thinking of India:
"The food, especially the spicy food."
His favourite Indian dishes:
"Butter chicken and chicken biryani."
Watch the interview, streaming on JioHotstar, August 15 at 12PM. Catch all the action from the Premier League 2025-26 season, August 16 onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on Star Sports Network and JioHotstar