Vincent Kompany has promised to be “as driven” as Pep Guardiola as he embarks on a career in management at Anderlecht.
The former Manchester City captain also believes that the role of player-manager will come naturally to him as he aims to revive the Belgian club’s fortunes.
Kompany, 33, left City last month to answer a plea for help at his boyhood club, who endured a dismal 2018-19 campaign to miss out on European qualification for the first time in 56 years.
Kompany feels he has had the ideal role model in former Barcelona boss Guardiola, who has guided City to back-to-back Premier League titles and also won three cups with the club.
“I will be as driven as Pep has been, that I know,” Kompany said at a press conference broadcast live by the club via Facebook. “Will I be as good? We will see.”
Kompany was an inspirational figure at the Etihad Stadium, captaining the club to four Premier League titles in his 11 years at City.
“I have been a player manager for most of my career,” he said. “I have just been managing other stuff.
Dear all, you can find my Open Letter to the fans, Part 1 of 2 on my Facebook page: https://t.co/j6qZRjJKYupic.twitter.com/F1k8rUS2hJ— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) May 19, 2019
“Now I get to manage something related to football, which just happens to be something I know more about than the other stuff I was managing. So, in reality it’s same old, same old.”
Kompany played down suggestions that he might return to City as manager one day. He feels City have already got the ideal successor to Guardiola on their coaching staff in Mikel Arteta.
He said: “He has got the knowledge, he is probably the right man to look at. I will just build my career.”
Kompany has already made one notable appointment at Anderlecht in bringing in his former City team-mate Craig Bellamy as under-21 coach.
Ex-Wales striker Bellamy, 39, has joined the club on a three-year contract after leaving Cardiff.
Kompany said: “I wanted him to be part of my journey. He is a guy that will say what he thinks, be honest and be honest about himself as well. I really like that.
“On top of thinking the same about football, and me knowing him throughout the years, it is a no-brainer.
“I have not come here to look good. I have come here to do a good job.”
