Vincent Kompany is using Manchester City and his former teammates as an example to inspire his Burnley squad ahead of their return to the Premier League.
Kompany was one of the best defenders of his generation, and if his first season in charge at Burnley is anything to go by, he could become one of the greatest managers too.
The former City captain replaced Sean Dyche as Burnley boss last summer, and in his first season guided the Clarets to an immediate return to the Premier League.
In just his third full season as a manager, Kompany implemented a complete change in style at Turf Moor.
His Pep Guardiola-inspired playing philosophy saw his side romp to the Championship title with 101 points while playing some delightful football along the way.
It appears that Guardiola is not the only figure at City that has influenced Kompany’s reign at Burnley.
The City link
In a recent interview with The Times, Kompany revealed that he has been telling the youngsters in his squad that the sky is the limit in terms of their development and career trajectory.
To prove his point, the 37-year-old has cited the rises of some of City’s stars as examples to follow.
In the article, Paul Joyce wrote:
“He references how Jack Grealish was not so long ago a talent in the Championship with Aston Villa, notes Kyle Walker’s rise from Sheffield United, and has high hopes for Anass Zaroury, the 22-year-old Morocco winger, and Ameen Al-Dakhil, the 21-year-old Belgian centre back, among others.”
Keeping Burnley in the Premier League next season will be Kompany’s primary objective, but the Belgian coach will be confident that his Championship winners are talented enough to push higher up the table.
Following his impressive debut season in English football, Kompany has been linked to several Premier League jobs, and is widely being touted as Guardiola’s future successor at City.
Should he fare well next season and continue to develop young talents, it will be hard to see that not being the case.
