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One of the greatest managers and footballing brains of all-time, Pep Guardiola is seen by many as the best manager in the Premier League right now.
An excellent defensive midfielder during his playing days, Guardiola began his managerial career with Barcelona B, before taking over Barcelona. After enjoying tremendous success with the Catalans, he moved to Bayern Munich, and now coaches Premier League side Manchester City.
Among these three clubs, Guardiola has nurtured and coached players who have gone on to become the best in the world in their position. The Spaniard has done that while winning matches and trophies on an extremely consistent basis; he is one of the most sought-after managers in the world.
We look at the 10 greatest players to have played under Pep Guardiola.
#10 DANI ALVES - BARCELONA
Regarded as one of the best right-backs of all-time, Dani Alves' legacy at Barcelona has been further established by the fact that the club have not yet found a worthy successor.
The Brazil international joined Barcelona from Sevilla in 2008 for €35 million. A technically excellent right-back well-renowned for his attacking prowess, Alves formed a deadly partnership on the right-hand side with Lionel Messi for Barcelona where his creative output was highly appreciated.
Alves made nearly 400 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, before leaving for Juventus in 2016. The 37-year old also enjoyed a stint with Paris Saint-Germain, and currently plays for Sao Paulo.
#9 RAHEEM STERLING - MANCHESTER CITY
A prodigious talent during his Queens Park Rangers days, Raheem Sterling made his name as a teenage sensation at Liverpool.
After enjoying a fine spell at Merseyside, the England international completed a controversial €64 million move to Manchester City, much to the chagrin of Liverpool fans. After a poor first season under Manuel Pellegrini, the arrival of Guardiola changed Sterling's fortunes.
A creative forward with pace, dribbling and eye for goal, Sterling is now regarded as one of the best players in the league. The 25-year old is capable of playing on the wings or as a no.10, and has been one of the first names on the teamsheet under Guardiola.
#8 DAVID SILVA - MANCHESTER CITY
When highly-rated midfielder David Silva completed a €29 million move from Valencia to Manchester City in 2010, eyebrows were raised.
A decade later, Silva is regarded as one of the best midfielders to have played in the league, and a Manchester City legend to boot. The Spain international was an important player for City before Guardiola's arrival, and aged like fine wine under the management of the Spaniard.
The 34-year old left Manchester City at the end of the 2020 season, having made nearly 450 appearances in all competitions for the club. After speculation linking him with Lazio, Silva joined Real Sociedad.
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#7 PHILIPP LAHM - BAYERN MUNICH
Already regarded as one of the best right-backs in the game prior to Pep Guardiola's arrival, Philipp Lahm reached another level under the Spaniard.
The 36-year old was converted into a midfielder by Guardiola in an inspired move, where he excelled immediately. An intelligent player with excellent passing and positioning ability, Lahm became the fulcrum of Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich, also acting as club captain.
The dimunitive right-back enjoyed a storied career for both Bayern Munich and Germany, before announcing his retirement in 2017.
#6 MANUEL NEUER - BAYERN MUNICH
One of the best goalkeepers of all-time, Manuel Neuer has arguably revolutionised the goalkeeping role.
Neuer joined Bayern Munich from Schalke for €30 million in 2011, and immediately became their first-choice shotstopper. An athletic goalkeeper, Neuer became renowned for his passing ability under Guardiola, often starting attacks; his ability to come off his line earned him the moniker "sweeper-keeper".
The 34-year old is the captain of both Bayern Munich and Germany, and played a key role as the Bavarians recently won the treble under manager Hansi Flick.
#5 KEVIN DE BRUYNE - MANCHESTER CITY
The best player in the Premier League last season, Kevin De Bruyne has become one of the best midfielders in the world.
The 29-year old has gained fame for his creativity, passing, vision and crossing, and is regarded by many as a "complete" footballer. De Bruyne runs the midfield for Pep Guardiola, with his incredible natural talent and technical ability often coming handy.
The Belgium international, who cost Manchester City €75 million from Wolfsburg in 2015, tied the record for most assists in a Premier League season last season and subsequently won the Player of the Season gong.
#4 ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI - BAYERN MUNICH
Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, Robert Lewandowski arguably should have been the recipient of the Ballon d'Or this season, had there been one.
The Poland international joined Bayern Munich from Borussia Dortmund on a free in 2014, and is now seen by many as one of the best Bosman signings ever. An extremely prolific goalscorer with strong technical skills and aerial ability, Lewandowski has led the line well for the Bavarians.
The 32-year old scored 55 goals in just 47 appearances in all competitions last season, including 15 goals in 10 Champions League games.
Also Read: 5 greatest Brazilian midfielders of all-time
#3 ANDRES INIESTA - BARCELONA
One of the best players of the modern generation, Andres Iniesta is considered to be one of the greatest midfielders of all-time.
Iniesta formed a world-class midfield partnership with Xavi and Sergio Busquets, forming the base for Guardiola to build his Barcelona side on. Excellent technically with fine passing, dribbling and positioning, Iniesta was an extremely versatile midfielder.
The Spain international made nearly 700 appearances in all competitions for his beloved Barcelona, winning all possible trophies. He left the club in 2018 and now plays for Vissel Kobe in Japan.
#2 XAVI - BARCELONA
Like Andres Iniesta, Xavi is considered as one of the greatest midfielders to have played the game, and one of the greatest players of all-time.
A proponent of the "tiki-taka" style of football which would go on to embody Pep Guardiola's philosophy, Xavi was renowned for his metronomic passing, as well as creativity. He formed an enviable partnership alongside Iniesta for both Bacelona and Spain, and is one of the most decorated Spanish players ever.
The 40-year old made more than 750 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona before joining Al Sadd in 2015. Having retired in 2019, Xavi became the manager of Al Sadd that very year.
#1 LIONEL MESSI - BARCELONA
Arguably the greatest player to have played the game of football, Lionel Messi has been in the news quite a lot lately.
The Argentina international is a product of the famed La Masia academy, and has been the talisman of Barcelona for some time now. It was under Pep Guardiola that Messi would become the player that he is right now, with the Spaniard building his Barcelona side around the otherworldly talents of the diminutive forward.
Barcelona are in disarray right now, and the 33-year has announced his decision to leave the club. Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are the favourites for his signature, unsurprisingly.
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