Jeremy Doku says planned baptism gave him extra motivation in Manchester derby

Jeremy Doku said he had added motivation in Manchester City's 3-0 derby victory over Manchester United because he planned to be baptised after the match, a decision he said helped him produce his best performance in a City shirt.

The Belgium international, who supplied two assists — one for Phil Foden and another for Erling Haaland — said he had been afforded a freer role behind Haaland and that the knowledge of his impending baptism had pushed him on during the game.

"If I can be honest, it was already a victory for me," the 23-year-old said. "Why? Because I knew that after the game I'm going to baptise myself, I'm going to be baptised. Maybe that's why I felt like I was pushed today. That's why I'm very happy with the performance as well. I was already excited before the game because I knew that it was a victory day."

Doku, who has been at the Etihad Stadium for two seasons, has at times drawn criticism for inconsistent displays. He has often been described as a frustrating winger, but City's coaching staff experimented with his positioning in the derby, giving him a freer role behind striker Erling Haaland. The change helped Doku create the openings that led to Foden's and Haaland's goals and contributed to a commanding win in front of a home crowd.

He added that faith is central to his life and explained the significance of baptism in his Christianity. "There's nothing more important to me than faith," he said. "As a Christian, when you get baptised, your old nature, your old sinful nature dies, and you start living with God. You resurrect with God, with Jesus Christ. You can do that as a kid but normally it's meant for when you're older and you really realise what you're doing, so that's what I'm going to do."

Doku has been increasingly visible off the pitch this year. He launched a YouTube channel over the summer and discussed his faith in a documentary covering his preparations for the Club World Cup and the close season. On the field, he added to his club form by scoring for Belgium in their recent international fixture, a win over Wales, and said he aimed to build on that momentum for the coming months.

City manager and teammates praised the performance as one of Doku's best since joining the club, noting the balance he struck between direct dribbling and productive link-up play. The derby result extended City's strong domestic start to the campaign and left United searching for answers after a dominant home defeat.

Doku's comments underline a blending of personal conviction and professional ambition as he seeks to establish greater consistency at club level. He will have the chance to continue that form as City prepare for league and European fixtures in the weeks ahead.