Enzo Maresca credits Pep Guardiola for his managerial career

Maresca appointed Leicester City manager after spells at Manchester City and Parma

Guardiola brought Maresca to Manchester City despite knowing he wanted to be a manager

New Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has revealed Pep Guardiola brought him to Manchester City in the knowledge that he wanted to pursue a career in management.

Maresca built a strong reputation for himself over the last year after leading Leicester back to the Premier League. The Italian joined Guardiola's coaching team at Manchester City in 2019 after a spell in charge of Parma.

"When I was at Parma, Guardiola called me and said, 'Enzo, I heard that you want to be a manager, so I want you to come here and learn with us'," Maresca said.

"I was surprised, but I was also very grateful for the opportunity. I learned a lot from Pep and his staff, and I think it really helped me to develop as a manager."

Maresca's appointment at Leicester has been met with surprise by some, but he is confident that he can be a success at the King Power Stadium.

"I know that Leicester is a big club with a lot of history, and I am very excited to be here," Maresca said. "I believe that I can bring success to this club, and I am looking forward to working with the players and the staff to achieve our goals."

Maresca's appointment is a further sign of Guardiola's influence on the game. The Spaniard has been credited with helping to develop a number of young managers, including Mikel Arteta, Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto Mancini.

It is clear that Guardiola believes that Maresca has the potential to be a successful manager, and it will be interesting to see how he fares at Leicester.