Benjamin Mendy Reveals What Makes Playing for Pep Guardiola So Special in Players' Tribune Column

Manchester City full back Benjamin Mendy has opened up about what life is like playing under manager Pep Guardiola. Over the years, many have spoken about the Spaniard's attention to detail on the pitch, and his loving nature off it, and Mendy has confirmed this all to be true.

Mendy arrived into the Etihad last summer, and endured a frustrating debut season, spending almost the entire year watching on from the sidelines with a knee injury, whilst his teammates tore the Premier League apart.

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However, despite the fact that Mendy could have no impact of his team's performances, he was never left out by his manager Guardiola, and the way in which he was treated encouraged the Frenchman more than anything else.

"What I’ve learned about life from Pep has been more important than anything I’ve learned about football," explained Mendy, in his column in The Players' Tribune.

"When I was considering signing with Man City last year, Pep and I started to message each other on WhatsApp. I was not only chatting with Pep, but also with his wife — because she was helping him with his French. With Pep, it felt like I was talking to family, not to a coach.

"When I got injured in November, I didn’t expect Pep to stay in communication with me. But he never forgot about me, and it meant a lot. It motivated me to want to be the best teammate I could be from the sideline. 

"Maybe I took it too far sometimes. In November, when I ran on the field to celebrate Raheem’s (Sterling) goal against Southampton, after I’d been forbidden from running. I should have been resting.

"Was it a risk? Maybe, maybe not. But after the match, I think I saw Pep smiling about it."

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Guardiola is a footballing genius, it's undisputed. But he's also one hell of a man.