During a wide-ranging discussion – which included his views on politics, culture and poetry as well as sport – the City boss was asked if there was anything as a manager he had not yet achieved and aspired to, such as international football.

Guardiola, who took charge of City at the start of the 2016–17 season, replied: "I would like to be an international manager in a national team.

"Sooner or later, it will happen because every three days I would like to be involved, but a little bit more calm, play more golf.... now I do not have time to play.

"So yes, sooner or later it is going to happen, if I have a chance and some international team wants to come 'knock knock' (at my door). We will see."

Guardiola also delivered success with Barcelona, winning the Champions League twice, and in Germany, with three successive Bundesliga titles for Bayern.

Asked by an audience of modern languages students for his views on how the Premier League rated to other domestic competitions, Guardiola felt England's top flight is the "most unpredictable".

"It is the toughest one, for the amount of games, for the weather and the referees saying: 'play (on), play (on), play (on)' and the competitors, there are many. It is the only country that five or six (teams) can win the Premier League," Guardiola said.

"I think it would be unfair to say (one is better overall). In Germany, there are many things that are better than here, in Spain there are things that are better than here, and here there are things which are better than the other leagues.

"It is the same like with culture, when you travel around, you learn a lot.

"I am a better manager than I was in Germany, and I am a better manager now than I was in Barcelona by far, just for the fact of being there.

"Now, I feel being here I am a better manager too because I learned to handle this incredible league in many circumstances.

"It is an unpredictable league, I think the most unpredictable I have been (in), with the stadiums, and the passion. When you see Match of the Day, after the highlights and all of the people when one team scores a goal, the reactions of the crowd, how crazy they are. People are laughing, screaming and hugging, that is good.

"We are doing a job, everybody around the world is watching us, and it is fantastic."

City look well set again this season, and will resume Premier League action two points clear at the top of the table ahead of the trip to West Ham.

Despite all of the plaudits given to his free-scoring team, who defeated rivals Manchester United 3-1 ahead of the international break for a seventh straight win in all competitions, Guardiola will keep things in perspective.

When replying to a question on the football media in the different countries where he has managed, the City boss said: "Everywhere it happens the same – when you win you are a genius, when you lose you are a disaster."

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