“Every single leader has welcomed me” – Gianluigi Donnarumma over the moon with debut Manchester City season | OneFootball

Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has paid tribute to the first-team leadership group for welcoming him to the club with open arms.

The 27-year-old has been one of the signings of the season after seamlessly integrating into Pep Guardiola’s squad following a £26 million deadline day switch to the Etihad Stadium after a public parting of ways with Paris Saint-Germain over a contract dispute.

Donnarumma has established his status as Manchester City’s undisputed number one to an extent that James Trafford, who returned to the club last summer after two positive years at Burnley, has struggled for minutes and could leave permanently again this summer.

City are embarking on a season-defining run of games over the next month and speaking ahead of the opening leg of a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie with Real Madrid, Donnarumma has reflected on his first season in England.

How does Gianluigi Donnarumma assess his debut Manchester City season?

In a press conference on Tuesday, the Italy international said: “I feel like I’ve been in Manchester for many years – and this has been my most important victory.

“I’m really more than happy! Right now, I feel really good, always try to give my best, help my team – and I try to do everything I can in order to win.”

Guardiola and Manchester City’s leadership group – comprising club captain Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rodri and Erling Haaland – have not been shy in singing their praises of Donnarumma, whose experience has shone between the sticks for the Blues since day one.

The Italian will be pivotal for Manchester City over two legs against Real Madrid as Guardiola and co look to build on their purple patch since February and take a major step towards the UEFA Champions League quarter-final.

What has Gianluigi Donnarumma said about Manchester City’s captaincy group?

Donnarumma went on to touch the warm welcome he has been given by members of Manchester City’s captaincy group as he looks to spearhead a young dressing room to silverware in the seasons to come.

“Bernardo (Silva), Ruben (Dias), Rodri – every single leader in this team has welcomed me very, very well, with their arms open,” Donnarumma added. “And they’ve allowed me to feel part of the team, at home – this is something paramount for a new player.”

The Manchester City goalkeeper was further quizzed on whether he can use his wealth of title-winning experience to lead from the front and help a new-look dressing room – that remains at an embryonic stage of its transition under director of football Hugo Viana – to success.

“I’m young but it’s true I have experience, and I think I can give some advice to the players that are starting to face these kind of games,” the Italian said.

“However, I think we are a very well-balanced team because we have amazing players, great names that have won many titles and very strong young players that are growing and developing that are giving us a hand throughout the season.”

Guardiola made 10 changes to his starting XI for City’s 3-1 FA Cup fifth round win over Newcastle United last week – but the Catalan will revert to his strongest lineup against Alvaro Arbeloa’s men in a titanic battle between two European heavyweights at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.