Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho credited Pep Guardiola, the boss of Manchester City on 27 December, Wednesday and said that he is a great leader who always keeps him motivated to perform better.
Guardiola, who is at the helm of Manchester City since 2016, has helped the club finish the ongoing year unbeaten and at the top of the English Premier League (EPL) table.
"He is very kind," the 32-year-old who has made 150 appearances for Manchester City since 2013 was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
"But for sure he was a great player in a great team where he won a lot of important trophies -- and he won some trophies with his national team as well.
The defensive midfielder who has won the EPL title with the club in 2013-14 also said the entire squad wants to follow the philosophy of Guardiola.
"Our manager is a great leader. Everyone wants to follow his philosophy with the same spirit. What happens when you follow a great leader is you believe in his mentality," Fernandinho said.