Pep Guardiola is looking forward to being reacquainted with Ronald Koeman on Saturday - and admits he was once the water carrier for the Everton boss.
Guardiola and Koeman were team-mates at Barcelona in the early 1990s with the Manchester City manager the impressionable youngster and Koeman the experienced Netherlands international.
Speaking ahead of City's clash with Everton on Saturday, he said: "When Ronald needed water, he'd wake up to water from me.
"I was younger so I looked up to him. He was not just a room-mate, we spent a lot of time together and he was so generous. Not just on the pitch but off, I learned a lot from looking at him."
Koeman was a stylish centre-half, a vital component in the way then Barca coach Johan Cruyff - a huge influence in Guardiola's career - set up his side.
Guardiola added: "He was one of the first central defenders with the quality not just to defend.
"Cruyff bought him to teach us why we needed a central defender like Ronald. He was one of the few guys who I never saw miss an important game. He always played good in the big games."
