Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan says he's determined to turn around his international career.

Mesut Ozil retired from Germany duty after a disastrous tournament in Russia — but Gundogan has vowed to carry on.

The Arsenal star has since lost form but the City midfielder said: “I have sympathy for him.

“The more regularly you play, the easier it is because you have the rhythm and just keep going and don't think about things too much.

“In a team like Manchester City, Arsenal, and other big clubs, it's quite difficult just to have the same 11 players starting every week.

“The more you play, back-to-back games, the better you feel, with more confidence and rhythm."