Pep Guardiola named the one player who 'helped him understand football better' and it's not Lionel Messi

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has previously named the player who 'helped him understand football better'.

Guardiola is one of the most successful managers in the history of the game, having managed huge clubs like Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

Since arriving in English football, Guardiola became the first manager to lead a team to four successive Premier League titles and also completed a historic treble for City.

The former Barcelona midfielder has managed of some of the best players the world has had to offer, including the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne.

However, there was one player that helped Guardiola understand football better.

Pep Guardiola names the player who helped him understand the game better

Back in 2018, Guardiola was full of praise for former Barcelona and Spain star Andres Iniesta.

He said: "I think he’s a part of the history Barcelona have left in the last 15-20 years that would not have been possible without him. I just can say thank you, he helped me.

"People think the manager helps the players but in a few cases, Andres is one of them, he helped me to understand the game better. Just watching him, what he does on the football pitch. The amount of tackles he won, the way he played, the example for the way to be a professional on and off the pitch."

Pep Guardiola worked with Andres Iniesta at Barcelona. Image: Getty

Guardiola added: "All the best for the future. When he decides to retire, hopefully (after) one decade more, he can come back into football, Barcelona especially, to teach the young players or even professional players on the pitch.

"It was really a pleasure. He had a gift. It wasn’t easy for me or my staff at the beginning but he was there, supporting us, always convinced it would work. I wish him the best for the future. I’m sure he will be remembered and I think that’s a lot, talking about football."