Former England captain Wayne Rooney has described Pep Guardiola as the “Sir Alex Ferguson of his generation,” praising the Manchester City manager for his dominance in English football.
Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show on Tuesday, Rooney compared Guardiola’s achievements at City with those of his former manager, Alex Ferguson, under whom he played at Manchester United between 2004 and 2013.
“I have seen a lot of comparisons to Alex Ferguson,” Rooney said. “I can say Ferguson is the greatest of all time, but Pep, in his generation, is certainly the best by a long way.”
Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City at the end of the season after spending 10 years at the club.
During his time at City, the Spaniard has won 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, three FA Cups and five EFL Cups.
Ferguson, meanwhile, remains the most successful manager in Premier League history with 13 league titles during his 26-year reign at Manchester United.
Rooney acknowledged Guardiola’s loyalty and longevity at City but stressed that Ferguson’s record at United remains extraordinary.
“I’ve been looking at people saying how loyal he’s been for 10 years, which is incredible. But Alex Ferguson has done 26 years,” Rooney added.
“When you actually think of that amount of time, 26 years at one football club, it’s absolutely astonishing.”
The former striker also highlighted the different circumstances both managers faced when taking charge of their clubs.
“When Sir Alex took over United, it was a completely different situation,” Rooney said.
“He almost had to build the club up from the ground to get them to become a successful force in English football again — whereas I think Pep didn’t necessarily have to do that.”
Despite that distinction, Rooney praised Guardiola’s achievements at City.
“But what he has done in terms of complete and utter dominance… it’s nothing to sniff at,” he said.
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