Nathan Ake says that winning trophies only increases the desire of the City squad to win even more. |
Nathan Ake says that winning trophies only increases the desire of the City squad to win even more.
The Dutch international has collected five winners’ medals in the past 12 months as City became the first English Club to hold the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, European Super Cup and Club World Cup.
There has been no loss of appetite for success with City chasing the record of becoming the first English side to win four domestic titles.
And Ake says the arrival of new faces in the summer helps to keep everyone hungry for more success.
“Our hunger and desire to win never stops,” he said. “Those moments where we lifted the five trophies last year are special and once you do it once, you want to do it again and again.
“We lost a few players in the summer but the new lads that have come in have added to that hunger.
“They are desperate to achieve their own success with us and that contributes to us being a winning side. That mentality of wanting to be the best never stops.”
It’s an attitude that’s matched in the coaching quarters with Pep Guardiola pushing his players to keep improving.
Ahead of the Premier League clash with Brentford on Monday at 20:00 (UK), Ake says the boss has high demands, which bring out the best in the squad.
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“When you play for a club like Manchester City and for a manager like Pep Guardiola the pressure is always there to succeed,” he added.
“Every single player in the dressing room, every coach and staff member wants to continue the success we have had in recent years.
“Our hunger to win never goes away and that is why we are fighting to win our fourth consecutive Premier League title. We will fight until the end as we always do.
“The manager is demanding but that is what gets the best out of us. His enthusiasm and determination to win is relentless and that’s a feeling that is shared by all of us.
“The training sessions are intense, but we all work so hard and put everything into those sessions to give us the best possible chance of getting a positive result in the game.
“The level of detail and information given to us by the manager and the staff is incredible and it helps us feel prepared before every game.”
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“Our hunger and desire to win never stops,” he said. “Those moments where we lifted the five trophies last year are special and once you do it once, you want to do it again and again.
Our last trophy was in December when we the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time after beating Copa Libertadores Fluminense in the final.
City have won our last six matches since returning from Saudi Arabia with the Premier League title race heating up and Ake is determined to take that form into the rest of the campaign.
“We wanted to start the season strong and we felt like we did that,” the defender said.
“We obviously had a few setbacks which is normal over the course of a season, but winning the Club World Cup in December gave us a big boost and since then we have been able to hit some good form.
“That form is something we want to continue in the next few weeks and months in every competition.
“We have the experience of fighting for titles in the final few months of the season and we want to do it again.”