Clichy compares City teammate Sane to Bale

Gaël Clichy has likened Manchester City teammate Leroy Sane to Gareth Bale as he continues to impress for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The German international arrived from Schalke at the start of the season and has started to establish himself as a key figure for City.

Victory over Sunderland on Sunday pushed them back up to third in the Premier League, with Sane scoring in the 2-0 success, and Clichy believes he is now starting to come into his own.

(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

He said: “I remember a few months ago I did an interview about him, when he hadn’t yet played, and I said I thought he would be a big player for the club.

“Of course you always need time to adjust to a new club and way of playing football, in a new country and living alone. Sometimes you need to find the right balance between enjoying life and playing your best football.

“So the first six months, as expected, he was not at his best, but since that Arsenal game everything changed.

“You don’t want to give too much praise to a young player, but in a few years he could be up there with the best.

“He reminds me a little bit of Gareth Bale – strong and powerful and he can be decisive with the ball with assists and goals.

“I don’t like to make comparisons, but like Bale, Leroy is strong and powerful, and with the ball he can drive forward from 50, 60, 70 metres and that is an important quality to have.”