Danilo: I think Pep treats his wife like a football player!

Pep Guardiola "thinks about football all the time", says ex-Manchester City player Danilo, to the point where the defender thinks that the Spaniard treats his wife like his players when off the clock.

The full-back, who spent two title-winning seasons at the Etihad Stadium under the coach before making the move to current home Juventus, has been reflecting upon his career to date.

The 30-year-old has enjoyed success under other acclaimed coaches like Zinedine Zidane and Massimiliano Allegri - but has now opened up on his struggles in particular with Guardiola.

“I’ve been lucky, they are different, but they are all winners," the veteran Brazilian told the newspaper la Repubblica on his managerial history. "I have tried to learn from everyone.

"It was with Guardiola that I changed my way of seeing things, I didn’t play much also because of an injury. It’s true that it’s not easy to have a good relationship with him.

"He is never relaxed, he thinks about football all the time. I think at home, in the evening, he puts his wife on the couch as if she were a player on the pitch!"

Purchased with much fanfare to bolster the backline in Manchester by Guardiola, the former Real Madrid man struggled with injury during his two-year spell at the club.

Though he notched up 23 appearances for the club in his first campaign, he managed less than a dozen top-flight matches the following season and found himself stuck on the sidelines.

He started their 2018 Carabao Cup final triumph, but had to make do with a cameo off the bench the following year while missing out entirely on minutes in 2019's FA Cup Final victory.

Guardiola will be looking to keep his side's title defence on track in the Premier League in another major test of his side's credentials against Liverpool this weekend.

Having overcome Chelsea last time out in the top-flight - another vital rival for their crown - they will also be out to bounce back from the frustrations of a loss to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.

The City boss saw his old protoge Lionel Messi sink their hopes with his first goal for the Ligue 1 outfit since he arrived in the summer, in a 2-0 reverse.