The Spanish coach believes that Jesús Navas should have remained with the Citizens when Guardiola was already managing the team.
Pep Guardiola, one of the most successful managers of modern football, reflected on his years at Manchester City during his appearance on the program "Adiós a Txiki," a tribute to the work of director of football Txiki Begiristain.
The Catalan coach, who has been leading City since the 2016/17 season, spoke openly about his experiences, the challenges he faced, and the players who left the biggest impression on him during what has been a historic tenure in English football. Among the questions posed, one in particular drew widespread attention: if he could choose a player who left the club too soon, who would it be? Without hesitation, Guardiola pointed to Jesús Navas.
"I’ll choose a less obvious name: Jesús Navas. He should have stayed with us longer," Guardiola admitted. For many observers, this was a surprising choice, since Navas was not one of the biggest stars of his era at City. Yet Guardiola’s answer reveals his appreciation for qualities that often go unnoticed consistency, professionalism, and the ability to strengthen a team not just with talent, but also with mentality and presence.
Jesús Navas joined Manchester City in 2013 from Sevilla, bringing speed, stamina, and an unrelenting work ethic to the right wing. He spent four years at the club, helping City win trophies and consolidate its position as a Premier League powerhouse. When Guardiola arrived in 2016, Navas was entering his final season in Manchester. Though the coach valued him, the Spaniard eventually decided to return home to Sevilla, where he became captain, lifted silverware, and ended his career as a club legend. In Guardiola’s eyes, however, Navas’s departure deprived City of a player who could have offered far more in the following seasons, especially as the team was undergoing a tactical and cultural transformation.
Navas was never the kind of player who dominated headlines with spectacular goals or flamboyant skill, but he embodied reliability. His ability to stretch defenses, his discipline in tracking back, and his humble character made him an ideal squad player, someone who put the team above himself. For a coach like Guardiola, who values collective structure and harmony as much as individual brilliance, Navas was the type of footballer who could be quietly essential in maintaining balance. That is why his answer caught so many by surprise, yet made perfect sense when one considers the philosophy behind his management.
The conversation then turned to another intriguing subject: the most influential player Guardiola has worked with during his reign at City. Here, his response was less surprising but equally telling. He named Ilkay Gündogan, the German midfielder who was Guardiola’s very first signing at the club in 2016.
"Gundogan, because he was very important for us. I’ll go with him," Guardiola said.
Gündogan’s story at City is one of resilience and leadership. Signed from Borussia Dortmund while recovering from a serious injury, many questioned the wisdom of bringing him in. But Guardiola always saw something others didn’t: his intelligence, his versatility, and his ability to read the game. Over the years, Gündogan became the quiet engine of City’s midfield. Whether dictating tempo, filling defensive gaps, or arriving late in the box to score vital goals, he consistently delivered in the most decisive moments.
Perhaps the best example of his influence came in the 2022/23 season, when he captained City to their historic treble. His brace in the FA Cup final against Manchester United and his performances throughout the Champions League campaign cemented his legacy as one of Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants. Beyond statistics and trophies, Gündogan represented everything Guardiola demands of a player: intelligence, discipline, humility, and an unshakable commitment to the team’s success.
Guardiola’s answers in "Adiós a Txiki" reveal much about his values as a manager. He doesn’t simply remember players for their highlight-reel moments or global fame. Instead, he treasures those who contributed quietly but significantly, those who set standards in training, and those who embodied professionalism on and off the pitch. By choosing Navas as the player who should have stayed longer and Gündogan as the most influential, Guardiola showed that his focus is not only on talent, but also on the human qualities that make a team succeed.
For Manchester City fans, his reflections serve as both nostalgia and a reminder of the evolution the club has undergone under his leadership. From his arrival in 2016 to today, Guardiola has transformed City into one of the most dominant teams in football history, but even in that journey, he still looks back at certain moments and wonders how things might have been different had players like Navas remained longer.
