Ahead of the all-important Manchester derby that takes place tonight at the Etihad Stadium, where the result could be crucial in the race to secure Champions League football, Pep Guardiola has showered praise on Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick.
The Manchester City boss talked about the United players he admires in his press conference ahead of the showdown with Jose Mourinho's side tonight and picked out Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, saying that "England is safe" with these type of players.
However, he also spoke glowingly about Carrick, who joined United from Tottenham in 2006 and has gone on to make over 400 appearances for the club.
Image: PA
For a period, he was not a hit with United fans but as time has gone on, the 35-year old has become a vital component in the United side and keeps the team ticking over.
Guardiola, who played as a holding midfielder with great distinction himself, stressed how big a fan he is of Carrick in the following clip:
Incredibly high praise from Guardiola.
He mentions Carrick as being on the same level as fellow holding midfielders Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso, who he worked with at Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively.
Image: PA
It doesn't get much better than that.
Do you agree with Guardiola's comments on Carrick? How do you see tonight's Manchester derby playing out?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Manchester City, Manchester United, Pep Guardiola, Michael Carrick