Pep Guardiola reportedly rejected a six-month playing contract from Manchester City in 2005, as well as an offer from among others Wigan Athletic.
The former Barcelona midfielder is reported today by Mundo Deportivo as having spent 10 days in the summer of 2005 trialling with City, then coached by Stuart Pearce, with a view to a move.
However, the club picked up on the then 34-year-old’s past struggles with a hamstring injury and only offered the player a six-month contract, believeing that he could not withstand the pace of the Premier League.
It is reported that the player turned down this offer, as well as an offer from newly-promoted Wigan to play for them in the English top division that year.
Guardiola, who was also linked in his playing days with Chelsea and Manchester United, left Barcelona in 2001, enjoying playing spells at Brescia, Roma, Al-Ahli and Dorados.
The currently out-of-work Coach, who is on a year-long sabbatical from the game, is also reported today as having turned down Manchester City’s offer to coach the team from 2013-14.
