Jeremy Doku has revealed that Reece James was the toughest player he faced in his first season at Manchester City.
Doku made 42 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side, who won a fourth consecutive Premier League title last weekend.
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The Belgian could play one last key role for City in the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday, live on talkSPORT.
Doku, a winger, has faced many talented defenders this season, but when asked to name his toughest opponent, it is Chelsea right-back James who takes the top spot.
Reflecting on his first campaign at City with SPORTbible, he said: “I played against so many good defenders. Now it has become much more difficult with teams playing more defensively.
“I would say Reece James. I think he’s a very strong, good defender, and one of the toughest players I’ve ever played against.”
Doku and James have only met once all season, both starting in Chelsea and City’s 4-4 draw in November.
The latter’s five tackles were the most of any player on the field and he joined Marc Cucurella with the most tackles won out of three.
It also proved to be a busy match for Doku as he completed 15 duels and completed five of his ten dribbles at Stamford Bridge.
James proved to be one of the better players overall as he also assisted Raheem Sterling, with Doku clearly impressed.
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Even though City lost points during their trip to west London, they still managed to win their eighth Premier League title.
Doku featured in 29 of their league matches throughout the season, scoring three goals and assisting nine others.
He even set up Phil Foden for his second goal in the crucial 3-1 win over West Ham on the final day to help secure the crown.
The 21-year-old can go even further on Saturday by winning the FA Cup to seal a back-to-back double for City.
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