MANCHESTER City star Gundogan: I heard the bomb go off... it was like a firecracker. But spirit of people here inspires me to greater things
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ILKAY GUNDOGAN was in his luxury city-centre apartment when he heard the bomb blast that killed 23 people and left more than 250 injured.
The first thought for the Manchester City midfielder was that someone had set off a firecracker – but then a siren from an ambulance speeding towards the carnage inside the MEN Arena confirmed terrorism had struck at the heart of his new home.
As the full horror of what had happened at an Ariana Grande concert became apparent, it brought back memories for Gundogan of Paris in November 2015, when the players of France and Germany were ordered to spend their longest night locked inside the Stade de France after a terror attack on the city that claimed 130 innocent victims.
Gundogan, who was recovering from a knee injury that brought a premature end to his first season at the Etihad when darkness descended on Manchester on May 22, remains defiant.
He said: “When I came to Manchester I decided to live in the centre so that I could get a real feeling for the city and the people.
“It was the same in the first years when I was at Borussia Dortmund.
“I think it is important to see how the city and the people are, to learn something about the culture of your home and see how all the people get on together.
“Did I think about leaving Manchester after the bomb? No, I have honestly not thought about it for one moment.
“I don’t want to live 30 or 40 minutes outside the city in a big house like many players do.
“I would feel a little bit lonely out there, I guess. My cousin lives with me now and I feel comfortable and good.
“I don’t see any reason to leave town, even after the catastrophe Age: 26 Pos: Midfield City shirt: No.8 Germany caps: 20 that took place. I feel safe where I am.”
Gundogan was both horrified and inspired by the scenes he witnessed after a bomb attack aimed at young concert-goers and their families. He recalled: “I heard a loud noise – a bang like on New Year’s Eve when people set off fireworks.
“I thought it was something innocent like that, but it was really, really loud and then 10 seconds later I heard the first ambulance and realised something had happened. “Then, in the next two minutes, there were maybe 10 more ambulance sirens and also the police and I knew then that something big had taken place.
“When I went downstairs to ask people at reception, they told me there had been an attack on the Arena and we were all really shocked.
“I went out into the street and I saw people helping each other, even though many of them were crying.
“It showed me that in bad times, the people of Manchester all stand together. We all stand together.
“When I went into the centre of town to see the flowers laid in St Ann’s Square I was so surprised to see so many people walking through and refusing to be scared.”
Gundogan, who has just returned to action after recovering from a torn cruciate ligament, added: “My mum was staying with me when it happened and my family in Germany and Turkey were all worried.
“But I enjoy living in the centre of Manchester and I have learned a lot about the people here.
“What happened made my injury issue so small.
“You cannot even compare them.
“I was also in Paris when there were bomb attacks – and that was also one of the most horrible nights of my life when we had to stay inside the stadium dressing rooms.
“You just cannot compare these events to anything in football.”