5 great midfielders to play under Pep Guardiola

#3 Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

Manchester City Training Session

Pep Guardiola has never shied away from showering love for his players and Kevin de Bruyne has often been on the receiving end of it. The Belgian playmaker is adored by the Spaniard to the core.

Manchester City have a sensational midfielder in de Bruyne. His wide range of passing combined with his terrific vision and execution has been of utmost help to the Premier League club. Under Guardiola, the Belgium midfielder has played 245 matches in which he has scored 58 goals and registered 97 assists.

De Bruyne has won the Premier League thrice with Guardiola at the wheel. He has been named City's best player of the season twice post the arrival of the Spaniard. The dynamic midfielder remains a massive player for the Spanish manager in their ambition to win multiple silverware this season.

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#2 Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)

Xavi was one of the key players for Pep Guardiola durnig his time at Barcelona

The current Barcelona manager has legendary status at the club as a player. Words do not suffice for his enormous contributions to the Catalan club.

Xavi was arguably one of the best midfielders of his generation and certainly a massive player for Barcelona. He spent 17 seasons with the Spanish club, during which he had the opportunity to work with Pep Guardiola. Xavi's smart reading of the game and breathtaking creative abilities were at their best under Guardiola.

The midfield maestro made 208 appearances under the Spanish manager, winning a number of trophies in the process. Together they won the treble in the 2008-09 season, in which Xavi was named the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year.

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#1 Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

FC Barcelona v Chelsea FC - UEFA Champions League Semi Final

Speaking of great midfielders, there is no possible way that Andres Iniesta can be eliminated from this sort of discussion. The Spanish midfielder spent 16 seasons at Barcelona, becoming a massive player in the club's history.

Iniesta's silky touch, amazing close control and mind-boggling dribbling skills made him a delightful player. In addition, his playmaking abilities were second to none. Under Guardiola, Iniesta found his true rhythm and potential.

He played 181 matches under Guardiola, scoring 23 goals and registering 53 assists. Iniesta was named the best midfielder in La Liga for three seasons when he played for the Spanish manager.