In a tough season for Man City, Josko Gvardiol has turned to a new vice and earned himself a new nickname.
The Croatian might have been a £77million signing but it’s been a smart purchase with manager Pep Guardiola hailing his ‘warrior’ during a tough season.
Gvardiol has been integral for Man City in a tough season and a new hobby is helping him[/caption]
The marauding left-back has hit five Premier League goals this campaign, up from one last term.
And he’s been Guardiola’s Mr Reliable as the Citizens have struggled to retain their title.
They will hand over the crown, likely to Liverpool, who led the division by 12 points ahead of the weekend’s fixtures.
Rather than getting distracted during a tough season, Gvardiol has taken to getting stuck into a brand new hobby.
Gvardiol told The Sun: “I just started doing crosswords a few days ago. So I got a new nickname from Scott Carson, it’s ‘Crossword King’.
“I’ve been getting them from newspapers in Croatia.
“Kristijan Jakic, who plays for Augsburg in Germany, is a friend of mine and when we were with the national team, one day I went to his room and I saw him doing a crossword.
“I was like, ‘what are you doing’ but to be honest I am addicted now.
“What I like to do is wake up, grab a coffee and do it for an hour or two.
“Even yesterday on the plane, on Saturday, I went to Bournemouth — and on the way back as well.
GettyGuardiola loves Gvardiol and he’s set to remain a key figure at the Etihad Stadium[/caption]
“I feel like we spend too much time on phones and things we should avoid, especially before the game, to stay focused, to stay in the game. And follow the match plan.”
It’s paying off according to Guardiola who said earlier this week: “Josko has been like a warrior — all the time he is there.
“I cannot imagine what would happen without him.
“I’m grateful for his focus and that he is ready all the time.”
And it’s a trait that runs in the family with the Croatian’s father still a fisherman who braves early wake-ups to sell seafood in Zagreb.
Gvardiol said: “He still works. He’s still doing it and I don’t know why to be honest — I’ve told him that many times.
GettyGvardiol is now a crossword addict – and he loves it[/caption]
“He needs to wake up at 4am or 5am prepare everything, put the ice, everything has to be fresh.
“But yeah, I think that’s just inside of him. He’s proud of the job, I guess.”
He added: “I went out just once. I wouldn’t recommend it to you guys. It’s too loud. I was young and I wanted to sleep in the cabin.
“But the engine was too loud and the smell and everything, it is just chaos on the boat.”
