Pep Guardiola and Marcelo Bielsa love-in continues ahead of Etihad showdown

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has confessed he has been taken aback by the level of praise directed his way by Leeds counterpart Marcelo Bielsa.

It was a conversation with Bielsa in 2009 that helped convince Guardiola to turn to management, and the Spaniard has previously credited the Argentine as being one of his biggest coaching influences.

The pair have remained incredibly close ever since that first meeting, and Bielsa recently used an interview with DAZN to heap praise on Guardiola, saying: "He's a magical man. What he knows how to do is extremely difficult for me to try [to copy] and I’ve already given up, but I have genuine admiration for what he does.

"Interpreting the novel decisions that he incorporates into a game is already a way of falling in love with football."

Ahead of Saturday's meeting between the two sides, Guardiola was asked how it felt to be the subject of such admiration, and the City boss confessed that there aren't many people on the planet whose praise means more to him that Bielsa's.

"I'm overwhelmed, I feel weird," he said (via Sky Sports News). "He's the most honest person. I'm pretty sure what he says is what he believes. He doesn't say or do anything for the media for the reputation of himself.

"That's why I'm overwhelmed. Everyone knows the admiration and respect [I have for him], the way he helped me in my beginnings.

"Always he'll be there in my heart and that's why I am always, 'Wow'. Always I feel I don't deserve it because if there's one person who can search or find the secrets, the way we want to do it, the way we want to play, it's him, through his work ethic and especially his knowledge about the game.

"I know how tough it will be on Saturday at 12:30pm but hopefully we'll be prepared to compete because, as part of this, we are three games away from being champions and this is another opportunity to make a bigger step."

Guardiola is unbeaten in his four games against Bielsa. He managed two victories and a draw against the Argentine's Athletic side in the 2011/12 season, before the pair battled to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road earlier this season.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!