Karim Rekik admits he's become close friends with Mario Balotelli at Manchester City.

Rekik only joined City in the summer from Feyenoord and confesses the first time he trained with Balotelli they almost fell out!

"I gave him a tap in a training game," Rekik recalled to Voetbal International.

"'Karim, please don't kick me,' he shouted! He was angry and shouting. Then he began to grumble, took off his shirt and walked away in a huff.

"But now, we often laugh about it and he always says 'please don't kick me'."