Ilkay Gundogan auctions off memorabilia to support struggling Manchester businesses

Fans can bid on boots, shirts and meet & greets

Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gündogan is auctioning off signed memorabilia to raise money for businesses in Manchester that are struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic. On his CharityStars website, he writes: "Until the end of the current season I will provide very special items and prizes that you can bid on. "All proceeds will go to cafes and restaurants in Manchester who are struggling with the effects of the lockdown. Over the last few years I spent a lot of time in the city's many wonderful cafés and restaurants. "During this time, I have met so many great people who tell me how difficult the situation has become for them in the last weeks and months due to the lockdown. "I want to use the initiative to support people during this challenging time and at the same time offer fans the opportunity to buy something special at auction. "Thank you very much for your participation and good luck for the auctions!" The bidding for a meet and greet with Gundogan currently sits at £1,000, while the boots and shirt he wore in City's demolition of West Brom this week are currently going for £800. Manchester City fans already adore their midfield maestro, and this only solidified their admiration for a player who has repeatedly shown kindness and humility during his time at the club. One fan tweeted: "You genuinely can’t hate this guy." Another fan called him: "Pure class, on and off the pitch." We spoke to Ilkay Gundogan at last year's adidas Predator launch, and I can confirm he is a lovely bloke. He taught us some German football phrases, and told us what he understands 'shithouse' to mean. https://twitter.com/FootballJOE/status/1220043707447201793