Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says Jurgen Klopp has helped him stay in football by forcing him to improve.
Guardiola’s City are preparing to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday in what is, on paper, on of the Premier League games of the season so far.
The two teams are separated by just one point currently, City beating Chelsea last time out to climb back into the thick of things, while Liverpool slipped up with a draw against Brentford.
Along with Chelsea and possibly Manchester United, City and Liverpool are very much the favourites to win the Premier League title this season, and so two games against each other could be key.
But ahead of the game, there is no trash talk from Guardiola, who has paid opposite number Klopp a very big compliment.
He said in his pre-match press conference, as covered by Sky Sport: “Jurgen Klopp’s teams helped me to be a better manager. He put me on another level; to think about it, to prove myself, to be a better manager. That is the reason why I am still in this business.”
Guardiola also spoke about the threat of Liverpool over recent years and how his City side have almost always had to overcome the Reds to get to where they want to be.
MORE: Redknapp thinks two factos will help Liverpool see off Man City
“Since I arrived here – maybe not the first year – Liverpool were always there,” he added.
“The last four years, all the time, we were both there. It’s the biggest compliment that both clubs were there. But in the Premier League there are not just one or two, there are many teams who can fight for the league.”