Xavi: Pep Guardiola has always dreamed of managing in the Premier League

Xavi has revealed Pep Guardiola always "dreamed" of managing in the Premier League. The 35-year-old midfielder – who currently plays with Qatari club Al Sadd – has admitted Guardiola, 44, loved talking about the Premier League when they worked together at Barcelona.

Guardiola recently announced his intention to manage in England when he leaves Bayern Munich at the end of the current campaign. Xavi has admitted the move will mark the realisation of a long-held ambition for his former boss.

"There was never a question of if Pep was going to manage in England – the only question was when," he said, according to The Mirror. "When I was at Barcelona we would always be talking about the Premier League, and our respect for the quality of the teams, the players, and the pace the game was played at. Even when he was at Barcelona, you could see it was his dream to one day manage in England."

Guardiola has been linked to managerial roles at Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. But Xavi thinks he is sure to be a success, irrespective of which club he ends up managing.

"I don't think it is even a question if he will be a success in England or not. Of course he will be, like he is a success everywhere. From the way his Barcelona and Bayern teams have played football, it is clear he plays a philosophy of football the fans will enjoy, but Pep is so much more than that," the midfield legend said.

"He is a perfectionist of course, but if you speak with the players they will all talk about the family atmosphere he creates at the clubs he is at, how he has the total trust from his players. That is what makes him special."