The European Cup proved Pep Guardiola's huge influence on English football

When Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in 2016, many people thought his style of football was not suitable in the Premier League.

It was thought that the only way to win on a cold, wet night at Stoke was speed, power and steals, not passing, pressure and adventure.

This is always odd considering that Pep Guardiola's Barcelona and Bayern Munich often come to England to play away and dominate in Champions League matches against Premier League rivals, and his philosophy of football was ultimately justified by City's subsequent successes.

In fact, it's already clear that the Catalan coach has not only turned Manchester City into a european powerhouse, he has also played an important role in England's reach of euro 2020 finals, the best performance in a major event in 55 years.

Take, for example, the Three Lions' victory over Denmark in the semi-finals.

In the final minutes before the end of the game, England still maintained a 2-1 lead, without the panic of the past. Instead, Gareth Southgate's side completed 53 passes in two and a half minutes and ended the game amid cheers from Wembley fans.

Three Manchester City players started in the European Cup final against Italy, which may not come as a surprise considering they have won the Premier League three times in the last four years.

Raheem Sterling, John Stone and Kyle Walker have performed no worse than anyone else in this tournament, having worked under Guardiola for the past four years, learning his high-pressure, possession-oriented style of football.

Don't forget that Phil Foden missed the final due to injury, and former Manchester City youth star Jadon Sancho was a substitute, and Guardiola's style of football is indispensable to the growth of these two youngsters.

Wilcox told Football: "We mixed English and Spanish styles, but in the end, Guardiola's football philosophy inherited from John Cruyff influenced English football. ”

'We've made some changes to Cruyff's style, but there are a lot of teams that really value this style of play now, and they see the first second of a goal as important as the 30th second.

'The way we score goals, the way we organize and the team shoots up front, and the way we play with high pressure, playing at the opponent's half – that philosophy is undoubtedly from Guardiola, who has been evolving and we have to try to keep up with him.

While some might say it's a coincidence, there's a significant correlation between the success of a national team and Guardiola working with the best players in the country every day.

Spain won both the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 European Championship, when the Matadors were built around Barcelona players from Guardiola, while while he was at Bayern, Germany won the 2014 World Cup.

It's clear that England is now enjoying their best performances in major competitions since the days of Sir Alf Ramsey, Bobby Moore and Jeff Hurst.

Wilcox believes Guardiola is absolutely commendable as he has shown the world that his philosophy can succeed and that philosophy has been embraced by every echelon of Manchester City.

He said: "We will never compromise our style and I think what Guardiola has done proves that style can win in any of the top European leagues. There were a lot of questions at first. Everyone came out from the outside to question Guardiola, questioning his tactics and selection. But for me, he's the best coach in the world and he definitely has an impact on our academy. ”

"It takes courage and a lot of effort to play the way he does, and it doesn't just happen in Saturday's game; It takes countless hours to practice, and you need to put in days and months of hard work. We must also apply the same level of effort, consistency and detail in our day-to-day work plans. ”

"We work a little differently at the Academy because we have to make sure we develop players from all sides. It's not just about making sure to take care of their physical growth, we also have to make sure the whole environment is right so they can be expressive and creative. ”

'When you watch a Manchester City youth team game, you see not only excellent individual skills, but also the understanding of the players with each other and they have to fight for the team, which is very important.

Wilcox is very proud of the club's work ethic, saying that from the cleaners to the chefs to the elite development coaches, they have made an important contribution to developing a talented player.

England's young players have performed just as well off the pitch as they have on the pitch, winning the hearts and minds of many fans, whether it's bravely pushing for the diversity they believe in or dealing with fans and the media.

Foden is part of this group of exciting young role models, and after moving from exciting young players to the main squad, he has been the signature of Manchester City's academy, but his performance on the international stage has made the staff proud of their biggest success story.

Wilcox said: "What England have done, what they have encountered and their understanding of their role in society, is influencing young people who want to be like them. ”

"For Foden, the most important thing is not the way he progresses as a player, but the way he presents himself, the way he speaks to the media and the way he acts. He grew up in every way, but he was still a down-to-earth kid from Stockport, and he hadn't changed at all. ”

"It's the biggest compliment I can give him, we're as proud of his actions as we are about his skills."