Vincent Kompany tipped to return to Man City as Pep Guardiola's successor
Vincent Kompany is Manchester City’s greatest captain - but the Burnley boss believes he’ll be an even better manager.
Former City centre-back Joleon Lescott has revealed how his old defensive partner told him he was destined for bigger things than anything he achieved at the Etihad when he took over at Turf Moor a year ago.
Kompany guided the Clarets back to the Premier League in his very first season at the helm - and his team will kick-off the new season with a mouthwatering clash with Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blue Treble winners on Friday night.
Lescott, 40, and now a City ambassador reckons his former skipper will not be fazed by the challenge.
“I’m still really close with Vinny,” he said. “I think he was about two weeks into the job when he told me he was going to be better at managing than he was playing. So, big, big statement, Vinny! But was deadly serious - and you have to believe him because when he puts his mind to something, he leaves no stone unturned.
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“What he’s done already his isn't a surprise to me. Vinny will forever be a legend at City and is so well respected by the fans and players he played with. Anyone who knows Vinny will not be surprised about what he’s already achieved at Burnley.
“They might be surprised by the speed of what he has achieved, but I think we all knew what he would eventually do as soon as he took the job.”
Lescott was alongside Kompany at the heart of City’s defence when the Blues ended their 35-year wait for a trophy by winning the FA Cup run 2011.
They were still in tandem 12 months later when Sergio Aguero’s famous strike enabled the Belgian to lift the club’s first Premier League title - and Lescott helped City become champions again in 2014.
Kompany’s last act as captain was to collect the FA Cup in 2019 as Guardiola’s side completed a domestic Treble - and a statue was erected outside the Etihad in hour of his 11 years of service.
The 37-year-old is now back in the top-flight after masterminding a 101-point season and the Championship title in his first campaign as Burnley boss.
And although the Clarets were hammered 6-0 when they faced City in the FA Cup, Lescott agrees with Guardiola’s assessment that the Belgian will one day return to his former club as manager.
Lescott said: “I’m not going to disagree with Pep - and if Vinny said he wants to be the King of Belgium or the King of Congo, that wouldn't surprise me, either.
“The man has the drive to be the best he can be in anything he puts his mind to.
“So I can definitely see Vinny being a Manchester City manager one day, whether it's after Pep I don’t know. Would he be that smart to take the job straight after Pep?
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“But in regards to the future, definitely.
“You could definitely see that he could be a manager from how he viewed the game and how we spoke about the game. It was evident. Vinny is not surprising me with what he's doing.”
Lescott reckons Kompany’s decision to bring in Welsh firebrand Craig Bellamy as his right-hand man was another masterstroke.
The pair got to know each other when they shared a dressing room at the Etihad.
And Lescott said: “That is a duo that nobody saw, to be fair! But they did get along really well - and obviously they still do.
“I suppose it’s a good cop, bad cop relationship. I'll leave it to you to decide which is which!
“To be fair, it's key to have a balance. Having spoken to some of the players there, they recognise what the roles are, and it works.”
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