Pep Guardiola Named Surprise 8-cap Englishman as One of His ‘Idols’ Growing Up

Pep Guardiola is widely recognised as one of the greatest football managers in the history of the game, relentlessly leading Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City to a plethora of trophies.

In his time at his boyhood club, Barcelona, Guardiola announced himself as a manager to the footballing world in truly mesmerising fashion, winning a treble in his opening season in management. Doing so, he became the youngest coach ever to win the Champions League.

Guardiola has gone on to win the Champions League a further two times (again at Barcelona in 2011 and then at City in 2023), while also claiming domestic league and cup titles across Spain, Germany and England. There really isn’t much left to win for Guardiola as a manager, at least not at club level.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on the touchline

Pep Guardiola Named his ‘Toughest Opponent Ever’

Pep Guardiola was certain when naming the ‘toughest opponent’ of his managerial career.

Attaining such a phenomenal managerial record, many do forget that Pep was a great player in his own right during his playing days. Playing at the centre of Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona side, Guardiola was a masterful deep-lying midfielder, shielding his backline and acquiring sublime technique when in control of the ball.

City boss singled out the Southampton legend

Which leaves the mind to wonder; what players inspired such a legendary coach and footballer to become the icon that he is? Well, in 2018, in the pro-am at the BMW PGA Golf Championship, Guardiola provided an answer on one of the footballers who inspired him growing up.

When teeing alongside former Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier, seven-time European Tour winner Tommy Fleetwood, and former Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, Guardiola hailed Le Tissier as “one of my idols,” saying:

“It is a lovely golf course, but for professionals. It was a pleasure to play with Matt Le Tissier—one of my idols when I was a young boy.”

A phenomenally gifted footballer, Matt Le Tissier spent his entire playing days at Southampton, scoring a selection of sensational strikes in his time. His ability to finish chances with superb technique and imagination made him a player that football fans across the country enjoyed watching.

His wonderful balance and ability to shift the ball made him a nightmare for defenders to predict, and his ball-striking abilities allowed him to rack up an array of unbelievable goals. In total, he scored 192 goals and assisted a further 58 for the Saints in 515 appearances, and is regarded as their greatest ever player.

Le Tissier’s name may come as a shock to some when hearing that Guardiola idolised him as a young kid. However, when watching the elegance with which he played the game, it is a more than understandable selection from the City boss. In fact, a number of Spanish players including Guardiola’s midfield playmaker at Barcelona, the legendary Xavi, have hailed Le Tissier as an inspiration while growing up.

“I remember John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne and Matt Le Tissier. We used to watch a lot of English football. They used to show highlights and Le Tissier scored some spectacular goals.”

Despite only making eight appearances for England, it seems Le Tissier resonated with football fans around the world. His way of playing was perfect for highlights shows, which perhaps explains why he’s been able to translate so well to the continental audience who only saw snippets of him in action.