"For me the best manager is Pep" - Wayne Rooney says he'd 'walk' to Manchester City if he's offered a move

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has confessed that he'd 'walk' to Manchester City if Pep Guardiola called him to become his assistant manager. The Englishman hailed the City boss as the best manager in the world while hailing the changes he's introduced over the last couple of years.

Guardiola continues to earn plaudits for his incredible efforts and achievements at Manchester City. The Cityzens are back in contention for the Premier League title this season after claiming a historic treble last season.

Wayne Rooney believes the Spaniard is the best manager in the coaching world and wouldn't mind being his assistant at the Etihad. The Englishman pointed to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta who is currently running riot in the Premier League after earlier serving as assistant manager to Pep.

“It depends (on whether I’d ever be an assistant) – if Pep Guardiola comes in and asks me to be his assistant, you’d walk there,” the former Manchester United forward told the Stick to Football podcast.

“You see what (Mikel) Arteta is doing now (at Arsenal) and I strongly believe a lot of that is from learning what Guardiola was doing, and so it depends on what the situation is," Rooney continued. "For me, the best manager is Pep and you look at how he adapts – how they (City) are playing now is not the same as how they were playing four years ago.

“He keeps making these subtle changes and then you see everyone else trying to do the same. They also work harder than anyone else.”

Wayne Rooney is indeed one man who has witnessed the greatness of Pep Guardiola vividly. The Englishman came up against the Spaniard's legendary Barcelona side as a player in the Champions League final twice (2009, 2011) and fell on the losing side on both occasions.

Over the last couple of years, he's also seen the Spaniard tear the Premier League apart with Manchester City, winning a whopping five league titles since switching to the English top flight in 2016.

---

When Wayne Rooney nearly left Manchester United for Manchester City

Wayne Rooney's flirting with Manchester City isn't a strange thing. Back in 2010, the Englishman nearly completed a transfer that would've been one of the most controversial ones in history when he was linked with a switch to the Etihad.

According to the Guardian, the iconic forward sought to leave Old Trafford amid a breakdown in his relationship with then Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson. However, the pair resolved their differences and the player chose to stay put.

He'd go on to end his spell at Old Trafford with an impressive record of 253 goals and 145 assists in 559 games across all competitions. The Englishman hanged his boots in 2021 and has since taken over managerial roles.