Man City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has hailed his fellow compatriot Josko Gvardiol as a special and talented player.

Gvardiol joined City during the 2023 summer window after impressing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar helping Croatia finish third before winning the DFB Pokal with RB Leipzig.

Kovacic also backed the 21-year-old to dominate European football.

He said: “I have in mind one guy that is really good and can be Josko [who] is still young. I think he can really dominate in European football.

“He can take, especially in Croatia, centre backs to on another level, because we always were talented playing from the back but he has something special.

“How he comes into the middle, so I think he can be for Croatian people, the guy. Especially being a left footed, I think they’re always so special – left footed players.”