When Pep Guardiola Nearly Signed To Play for Man City.

The former Manchester United and City striker remembers when a familiar face turned up to training.

I was a Manchester City player ten years ago when the club was very different from what it is now.

Then, the big signing was the Greek striker Georgios Samaras - for £6 million. City now operate on a different level, going for the best players on the planet, but they still had a chance to sign a world-class player when I was there - and they said no.

I was training one day when someone joined us. He was familiar-looking and I recognised him straightaway, because I’d played against him. Few of the other City lads realised that it was Pep Guardiola. He spoke English and was friendly. He was desperate to play in the Premier League. We reminisced about games against each other for Man United and Barcelona.

Pep was on trial at City and showed his class in training – the class which made him arguably the best defensive midfield player in the world earlier in his career for Barcelona and Spain. I can’t recall him giving the ball away.

Guardiola didn’t sign for City though. I think our manager Stuart Pearce wanted him but couldn’t offer much and Guardiola felt – rightly – that he deserved better. Pearce made some odd decisions and maybe he should have pushed harder, but he was boss.

It was a shame I couldn’t play with Pep, but even a decade ago people in England didn’t appreciate the role of the holding midfielder. And he was the best at that, ahead of his time and ahead of English football.

I bumped into Pep again a few years later. By this time, he’d become a great manager and led Barça to two European Cups against United. He was taking a year out in America when we met at the Ryder Cup and, despite being hugely famous, he was charm personified and had time for me.

He’s a brilliant manager and I can understand why many United fans were frustrated that he’s joining City. There’s no messing about with trials this time, they know they’re signing an incredible, in demand, manager.

He’s been successful in Spain and Germany, but England is very different. There are no easy games like there are where he’s worked. It will be even tougher next season when every club will be rich with all the television money. If Leicester can go to the top of the league this season, stay there and then offer their best players huge new contracts, then any team can. They have no pressure to sell.

The intensity will be higher on a man who is already intense, a man who appreciates a break. If he’s not on a one year sabbatical then he’s always had a mid-winter break in Spain or Germany. Now, he’ll have five games in quick succession then. City have great players and money, but I can’t see him romping away with the league.

Guardiola’s teams like to totally dominate and while they managed it twice against Manchester United in Champions League finals – well, for 80 minutes in the first one – I think it will be almost impossible to do that twice a week.

I’m still glad that Guardiola’s coming to England, though, and I’ll be interested to see who is in charge of Manchester United while Pep’s on the other side of Manchester. Louis van Gaal has a three-year contract and we have to respect that, but everyone is talking about who will be next in line and when that will be.

United have improved in recent weeks and I was encouraged by the performances against Stoke and Chelsea. Against Stoke, the difference I noticed was that crosses were going in. That’s all any striker wants and United scored three. United are now playing with the shackles off and form has picked up.

There’s also plenty of football left for the season to end on a high, but let’s not pretend that things have been good enough for United this season and that the team is suddenly about to jump from one in fifth to one which wins the league.

There’s continual speculation about the manager but only a couple of people make decisions at the club as to if Van Gaal stays or when he goes.

The Dutchman has always said that he’d like to pass over to Ryan Giggs. I’d like Ryan to manage United at some point. Is he ready now? Nobody knows, not even Ryan. All I do know is that I think he will become a good manager and, having played in great attacking teams, he knows exactly what he wants from his teams. He’s worked under and with greats too. He knows United inside out; he knows the soul of the club. He’s ruthless and capable of making decisions. He’s also done his badges. Whatever he does, he won’t be short of offers.

And whatever happens, United need a good side next season. My loyalty is with the Reds and we can’t have another year of being so far from the top, especially with City likely to be stronger with Guardiola.

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