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Pep Guardiola had no strong managerial background when he was appointed Barcelona manager in the summer of 2008. Blaugrana took the risk because of the Spaniard's vast understanding of their tiki-taka system and it paid off handsomely as he delivered the sextuple in his first season.
He enjoyed a trophy-laden stint at Camp Nou, followed by another successful three-year spell at Bayern Munich before joining Manchester City in 2016. After leading the club to three Premier League triumphs in four years, Pep Guardiola's reputation as one of the greatest managers in history is untouchable.
However, beyond trophies and accolades, what makes Pep's legacy more beautiful is his ability to pick up young players and transform them into world-class superstars. He's done that across all three teams he's managed so far.
More importantly, five among the Spaniard's player projects succeeded beyond expectations. In this article, we'll be taking a look at them.
#5 Phil Foden
The only player on the list who is still growing under Pep Guardiola's schooling, Phil Foden, has experienced massive development over the last few seasons. The attacker was presented to the tactician as a 17-year-old prodigy when he took charge of Manchester City in 2016. Five years later, he's become one of the finest young players in world football.
The English forward has mastered the concept of space exploitation, high pressing and tactical awareness under the watch of Pep Guardiola. He excelled in a false-nine role for Manchester City last season, bagging 16 goals and 10 assists for the Premier League champions across all competitions.
So far, Foden has made 124 appearances for the Cityzens since earning promotion into the senior team, with a return of 31 goals and 22 assists to his name. The attacker holds a lot of promise for the future and it's only a matter of time before he reaches his full potential.
#4 Sergio Busquets
When Pep Guardiola was appointed Barcelona manager in 2008, he didn't just promote a young Sergio Busquets into the senior team. He also held his hand tightly and molded him into one of the best midfielders of his generation.
Busquets became a pivotal figure in Blaugrana's golden team that took Europe by storm between 2008 and 2012. Alongside Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, the current Barca captain ran riot in midfield and easily outclassed opposition teams. Together, they won 14 trophies at Camp Nou within four years before Pep left for Bayern Munich in 2013.
#3 Joshua Kimmich
Pep Guardiola is often praised as the man who unlocked Joshua Kimmich's game at Bayern Munich and it's not difficult to see why. Under the guidance of the manager, the German rose from being an unknown figure to becoming one of the finest and most versatile midfielders in Europe.
Perhaps no one can explain Guardiola's influence on Kimmich better than the player himself. The 26-year-old spoke on the subject sometime ago:
“He [Guardiola] showed me positions in which I had never played before and in which I didn’t even know I could play. He showed me spaces on the pitch that didn’t exist before for me."
“I played different positions. With Pep, it’s really important to know where teammates are at every moment and also where opponents are. So you learn and get another feeling of the space," added Kimmich.
Joshua Kimmich has been a constant in Bayern Munich's team since arriving at the club in 2015. So far, he's made 268 appearances for the Bavarians across all competitions, bagging 30 goals and 74 assists to go with 17 trophies.
#2 Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne, of course, wasn't at a bad level when Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016. The Belgian was indeed putting up a number of promising displays for the Cityzens. However, the credit goes to Guardiola for transforming him from just a good player to one of the best midfielders in the world.
De Bruyne improved drastically under the tactician, dictating play in the center like a boss, while scoring goals and creating chances for his teammates. He became the difference maker for Manchester City, helping the club win three Premier League titles within the last four years.
#1 Lionel Messi
Pep Guardiola played a huge part in nurturing Lionel Messi to become the greatest footballer in history. With a whopping 14 trophies won during their time together, there's no doubt the Argentine enjoyed the best moments of his career working with the Spaniard.
The most influential impact Pep had on Leo was converting him into a false-nine. The attacker thrived in the role, scoring almost at will and winning four consecutive Ballon d'Or awards between 2008 and 2012.
During the 2011-12 season, the attacker set the record for the most goals scored by any player in a single campaign. He bagged 73 efforts for Barcelona across all competitions. Messi hasn't neared that level since Guardiola left Camp Nou, with his highest season tally coming in 2014-2015 when scored 51.
