Gael Clichy, a three-time Premier League winner who played under both Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola, has expressed regret that he did not spend more time working under the latter. The French left-back was part of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' under Wenger before joining Manchester City in 2011, where he won two more titles and experienced Guardiola's coaching in his final season at the Etihad in 2016-17.
Speaking on the Fozcast podcast, the 40-year-old said: 'I've been lucky, because I love the game so much, to have met Pep in my last year at City. I feel that this one year of working under Pep was not enough, because I would have loved to have met him before. He could have made me a better player.' However, Clichy added that the brief encounter sparked his curiosity in coaching, leading him to pursue a managerial career.
Despite Guardiola's influence, Clichy believes Wenger had a greater impact on English football. 'Arsene changed the game when he arrived, with a vision that nobody had in England,' he said. 'He's the one that gave me my chance.' Clichy, who has served as an assistant coach for France's Under-21s, aims to complete his UEFA Pro Licence in December before taking on a head coach role.
