Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola insists he rates local English talent.
Guardiola has been happy to work with the likes of John Stones and Raheem Sterling.
He spoke at last night's 'Manchester City's Evening with Manager', presented by Betsafe.
The manager said: “I am quite impressed with the quality in English football. I always thought it was just physical but I am quite impressed, for example: when I see the English national team players play individually, I think wow they are good but why are not they not able to play in the European Championship and the World Cup and pushing to win and playing well against the top teams but I think that they have quality.
“I said in a press conference that the process is similar to Spain and how Spain always got the quarter finals and then they got out then they got to the semi-finals and after they became the best team and I think it is so important over the next few seasons that the English players play well in the Champions League, get to the quarter finals and the semi-finals back with Sir Alex Ferguson and Chelsea. It is so important for these English players to experience the quarter-finals and semi-finals in the Champions League so when they get to the quarter-finals in the summer, they have the experience of being in similar positions.
“We see Messi and Ronaldo on TV whilst we are at home eating dinner or drinking some wine with their families, but they have to be there and the more times they get there, the better they will become in those situations."
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Source: tribalfootball.com