MANCHESTER: When Danilo swapped Real Madrid for Manchester City in the summer, he had already become a part of footballing history.
A crushing 4-1 win over Juventus saw the Spanish side become the first to claim successive titles in the Champions League era.
Now, with the opportunity of an unprecedented five major trophies within reach this season, Danilo wants to set a new mark.
Pep Guardiola’s glory hunters host Leicester today with a 13-point lead in the Premier League before visiting FC Basel for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, and then a FA Cup fourth-round trip to Wigan and League Cup final date with Arsenal.
Add in a World Cup this summer, with Danilo’s Brazil one of the favorites, and the 26-year-old has the chance of achieving an unrivalled trophy haul.
“Of course, that is my goal, winning the five trophies this season,” he told Arab News.
“I was really lucky to be able to win amazing things in my career, many trophies, and I’m always focused on conquering everything in front of me.”
Danilo’s Real also beat City en route to their 2016 Champions League triumph with a narrow 1-0 semifinal win.
“It’s a great competition, a very difficult competition. You need to have special players that decide difficult games.
“You need team spirit to overcome the difficult moments as well. You need all that. But it’s a combination of things.
“Of course we can win it, that’s our goal. It’s in our minds, but we still have room for a lot of improvement if we want to win the Champions League, the Premier League and the rest of competitions we take part in.
“We have the potential, it’s in our minds but, again, we still need to improve a lot.”
This is a crucial period for City’s hopes. They face Leicester after dropping two points in a 1-1 draw at Burnley last weekend, where the full-back’s curling strike was his second in the league this season.
“I’m satisfied with the goal, it was a beautiful goal, very important for me and for the team,” he said.
“But we are also a little bit disappointed for not having won the three points. But we must congratulate the whole team, we did a big effort, we controlled the game and we need to follow the same path now for the rest of the games.”
With Benjamin Mendy recovering from a cruciate ligament injury and Fabian Delph also sidelined, the versatile Danilo has been competing at left-back with Oleksandr Zinchenko rather than his preferred role on the right.
Having only made eight league starts he has even been linked with a move away, but he said he is enjoying being part of Guardiola’s attack-minded side.
“Yes, it’s a style of play I like a lot,” added the £26.5 million ($36.8 million) signing.
“We are always controlling the games, we keep the ball. I like Pep’s style of play a lot and how the team plays. I’m enjoying it and always trying to help the team. “It’s a bit different here in Manchester, starting with the weather, of course.
“The game is more physical here, more intense, I would say. But it’s a competition that I’ve always watched and it was always a dream for me to play in the Premier League. I’m extremely happy with the league, the club and the city.”
“DE BRUYNE IS AS GOOD AS RONALDO"
Danilo has hailed Manchester City teammate Kevin De Bruyne as one of football’s incredibles.
The Brazilian full-back won trophies galore with five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, and stars for his country alongside Neymar, the world’s most expensive player.
But Danilo believes De Bruyne stands alongside that prized pair following a stellar season where the 26-year-old has been a key figure in City’s challenge for honors.
“I think he is already there (with Ronaldo and Neymar), for everything he’s been doing in the club, in the games,” said Danilo.
“Without any doubt, he’s one of the best players in the world. Kevin is incredible.
“As a football player, I don’t need to say it because he’s been showing how amazing he is in every single game.”
While De Bruyne may have been surpassed as City’s record signing following the January arrival of £57.2 million ($79.4 million) center-back Aymeric Laporte, he has been sensational since a £55 million move from Wolfsburg in 2015.
In the Premier League alone he has scored 20 goals and created 39 assists in his 90 appearances. City have moved to ward off any interest in luring De Bruyne away from the Etihad by extending his contract to 2023.
And Danilo said the brilliant Belgian’s skills are growing and so, too, his influence.
“He’s an amazing player, special, extremely clinical,” he said.
“As a person, he is also incredible, a great team-mate, a great leader in this squad and he is helping us a lot.”
