Former Manchester City player Nigel De Jong said in an interview with the club's official website that he believes it was Guardiola who helped Manchester City become one of the best teams in Europe.
For De Jong, since Guardiola took over at Manchester City in 2016, under the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager, City have reached new heights in terms of playing style and work off the pitch.
De Jong said: "Guardiola took Manchester City to a different level and he shaped the way they played. I think that's a huge difference from before. Looking at his technical ability and the opportunities he has with new training grounds and strong new signings, we can now bring in better players as well. ”
"There's also the diet, the team's lifestyle outside of football, the media attention and so on, and he's brought Manchester City onto the stage of real international competition with the big teams. At that time we couldn't compete with Barcelona and Real Madrid. We're too far away, but on the right path. However, it was Guardiola who really brought City's international recognition to a new stage. That's what I think he's done to Manchester City. ”
De Jong played 137 games for City between 2009 and 2012, when City began to become a regular in European competitions for the first time. The former Dutch international midfielder's stint at the Etihad Stadium marked an unforgettable period in City's history, with City winning the FA Cup in 2011 and winning the Premier League for the first time the following year.
Asked about a player who was crucial to City's initial success, De Jong noted that City's team spirit and collective mentality had a greater impact than individuals. He said: "I can't just think about one player and not others. If you start from the back line, Kompany is very important to us, but I also have to take Richard Dunn into account. As captain and one of the first movers to success, he is also great and important to the club. ”
"Obviously we have to talk about David Silva and Yaya Toure, Barry is an underrated player and very important for the team. Tevez, who used to be an absolutely brilliant striker, and then there was Aguero. I can't just say one player, everyone has different abilities. Sabaleta, Krish, Korarov, Dzeko, they all have something special about themselves. If I had to pick one, I would only pick the whole team. ”
De Jong's other team-mate during that successful period was former City right-back Richards, who made 246 appearances for City between 2005 and 2014. Since hanging up his boots in 2019, Richards has had great success in the media world, becoming one of the most popular football commentators.
De Jong is happy to see what his former teammates have achieved so far, but is not surprised by the impact he has made in his new job. "I have a particularly close relationship with Richards and Lescott," he said. We are like three musketeers. It's his character and charm that makes him so good, his laughter, and you can't help but laugh when he laughs! Richards does a fantastic job, he knows the game inside out – and people tend to forget that when people see him as such an interesting guy – he has real insight, really understands the latest in the game and understands what's going on. ”
(One Plus Seven)