Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said former mentor Pep Guardiola, who announced on Friday he is leaving Manchester City, gave him the belief to become a manager.
Speaking in Berlin ahead of Saturday's German Cup final against Stuttgart, Kompany – who captained City under Guardiola for three seasons – said working with the Catalan coach was "a gift".
"I have my own personality and my own character, but the trust and belief that I could become a coach: for that, I owe gratitude to Pep," Kompany said.
"And that is just how great his influence is.
"I maybe wasn't his best friend in the dressing room, or maybe I wasn't always loved, but I had an incredible belief in his style of leadership."
In a decade at City, the former Barcelona and Bayern manager won the Premier League six times and the Champions League alongside a glittering array of silverware.
Kompany won back-to-back Premier League titles under Guardiola in 2018 and 2019.
Since taking over as Bayern boss in 2024, the Belgian has led the club to two Bundesliga titles in a row. He can grab a third major honour as coach this weekend.
Kompany said the public misunderstood Guardiola and his focus on tactics.
"Far too much is said about tactics or technique or whatever else. For him, it simply came down to that absolute desire to win everything - no matter what it was," said Kompany.
"It was a gift for me to have had the opportunity to work with him during that time.
"I know that I owe this hunger to become a coach to those years I spent with him."