Aymeric Laporte has recalled his first meeting with Pep Guardiola in which the Manchester City boss had him in training just hours after landing in England.
Laporte joined City in January 2018, putting pen to paper on a five-and-a-year contract at the Etihad. Guardiola pushed for his side to add to their defensive ranks mid-season after injury concerns over Vincent Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala.
And the Blues boss seemingly wasted no time in introducing the former Athletic Bilbao man to his new teammates, throwing him into training on the day of his arrival before handing him a debut in a 3-0 Premier League win at home to West Bromwich Albion. ALSO READ: City's next six games compared to Arsenal, United and rivals "I’ve just remembered a story from the first day I arrived here at City," Laporte told in-house media when asked about Guardiola. "I signed my contract in the afternoon at around 2pm.
Pep came into the room at 3pm, so we started to chat and he said to me, ‘Come to my office so we can talk’. "He welcomed me to the club, shook my hand and then he said, ‘Right, at 4.30 today we’re going to train’. "I’d just come from a flight three hours ago!