This article is part of Football FanCast's Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers...

As quoted by Manchester City's official club website, Pep Guardiola has paid tribute to managerial counterpart Diego Simeone for helping to coach Rodri in the holding midfield position.

What did he say?

The Spain international arrived from the La Liga giants in a big-money deal earlier in the summer, and has already established himself as part of the first-team. He has featured in every Premier League game this season, and opened his goal-scoring account for the club with a strike in the 3-2 defeat to Norwich.

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Now, Guardiola has admitted City are reaping the rewards of the 23-year-old honing his craft under Atletico manager Simeone.

He said: "Obviously me and Mikel (Arteta) know a bit more about our position than the winger position. I never made a dribble in my career as a player so it’s more difficult for me to know what to say.

"When Rodri came here he had been with other managers and we took over what he learned from other experiences. I am pretty sure it’s our benefit that he worked with Simeone in the past because he played in the position and knew exactly what to do."

Grit and guile

If you were going to pick two elite managers who represented polar opposites of modern-day footballing philosophies, then Guardiola and Simeone would surely be at the top of the list. The duo have their own unique styles of playing and have forged their entire careers in the dugout by staying true to what they believe in.

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Guardiola has preached his Barcelona-based game wherever he's been, whilst Simeone's team have always embodied what the Argentinian represented as a player: dogged, resilient and hard to beat. So for City to have a player in Rodri who has been influenced by both, gives them the archetypal defensive midfielder.

His passing numbers this season are something his new boss would be proud of - he averages 66.4 passes at an accuracy of 92.5%. His defensive numbers would make his former manager equally happy too - he averages 2.7 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game.

The beauty of Guardiola, and the beast-like qualities of Simeone. City have the ultimate hybrid on their hands.