Having played under manager Pep Guardiola at FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Thiago Alcantara has explained how the two-time UEFA Champions League tactician made him a more complete footballer.
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The Spain international joined Barca's famous La Masia academy at the age of 14, and was handed his first-team debut by the Manchester City coach in 2009.Thiago was later reunited with Guardiola at the Bavarian giants in 2013, becoming the Spaniard's second signing in Germany after Mario Gotze.
In addition to hailing the impact Guardiola had on his career, Thiago recently insisted the 48-year-old's football philosophy is still embedded at Bayern.
"Pep Guardiola took me from the youth to first team and helped me a lot along the way," he told DAZN.
"A young player coming into any first team has to learn a lot. With him as a coach, you learn faster and better. He was a huge help right from the beginning, here at Bayern as well.
"He left huge footprints of his work, because he and his ideas shaped our team enormously. You felt it on the pitch. We still use things in certain match situations that he taught us.
"He is one of the best coaches in the world, if not the best, and I'm sure that he will give football a lot more in the coming years."
With the Spain international boasting the ability to play both as a defensive midfielder and an attacking midfielder, he also revealed the biggest differences in switching between the two positions.
"I like to attack, but I'm also happy to defend," Thiago added.
"In the six position, I have to defend, but I can pick up the ball earlier to be more involved in the build-up play. Therefore, I can't score or assist as many goals as I would playing in the eight or 10 because I don't get as much space on the ball."
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Do you consider Guardiola to be the best coach in the world? If not, who is? Have your say in the comments section below. 
