"I am so happy for him!" - Pep Guardiola sends message to manager on new job

A glimpse at Pep Guardiola’s trophy haul throughout his career is enough to emphasise why he is rated as one of the greatest managers of all time.

While the Catalan boss’ spell at Barcelona is regarded as perhaps his finest work, he certainly deserves plenty of credit for turning Manchester City into an unstoppable winning machine.

Before his arrival at the club, City failed to ever retain their Premier League title wins under the reigns of Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

In title triumphs under both managers, slip-ups from both Manchester United and Liverpool played a major role in the Sky Blues becoming domestic champions.

However, four out of the last five league titles, four Carabao Cups and one FA Cup emphasises exactly why Pep Guardiola has been a cut above the rest during his time in England so far.

Silverware aside, one of Guardiola's greatest accomplishments is how he has inspired several of his former colleagues to venture into the coaching world themselves.

Vincent Kompany once cited the 51-year-old’s influence on his new-found passion for management, which led him to take up jobs at Anderlecht and most recently Burnley.

Similarly, former Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta has shone as Arsenal boss during his spell at arguably one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Xavi is another example that instantly springs to mind, considering the excellent rebuild he has initiated at Barcelona.

Another player that now joins this list is Xabi Alonso, who has recently been appointed as Bayer Leverkusen boss.

With the Spaniard playing under Pep Guardiola during his time at Bayern Munich, the Manchester City manager has now congratulated him on landing a major job in the game.

“I am pleased for Xabi Alonso," he began.

"He was an exceptional holding midfielder. He is a lovely person, lovely guy and I am so happy for him."

He continued, "I wish him the best and I hope he does a good job."

Alonso has built a reputation for being one of Europe’s most exciting up-and-coming managers, masterminding Real Sociedad B’s promotion to the Segunda Division during his spell at his boyhood club.

After studying an all-time great such as Pep Guardiola’s tactical blueprint closely at Bayern Munich, the hype generated by the World Cup winner is justified.