What Pep Guardiola told Taylor Harwood-Bellis about Vincent Kompany before sending Man City youngster to Burnley

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola encouraged Taylor Harwood-Bellis to go on loan to Burnley and be reunited with former teammate and coach Vincent Kompany.

Harwood-Bellis has impressed on loan in the Championship at Blackburn and Stoke in the last 18 months, either side of a six-month spell at Anderlecht, when Kompany was in charge there. Now, he has sealed a season-long loan at Burnley, who appointed Kompany last month to try and get them back to the Premier League.

And while a phone call from Kompany to Harwood-Bellis helped the youngster make his mind up over the loan, a word of advice from City boss Guardiola about picking a manager, not just a club, also helped.

ALSO READ:Man City boss Pep Guardiola warned Manchester United of Cristiano Ronaldo transfer risk last year

Harwood-Bellis said: "It’s the next stage and where I want to be so when a club like this comes knocking, it was the right step for what City wanted, for what I wanted, and for what Burnley wanted. He [ Guardiola ] told me the manager has to be right and the club has to be right for me as it’s a big part of my career.

"It’s class working with him [Kompany] and when he called me again, I knew straight away. It was the same feeling as when he called me before I went to Anderlecht. It’s a big loan for me in my career and progression. I feel like it was the right decision to come here with the football club and the manager.

“I was buzzing when he called me and it was a no-brainer with the club, not just the manager, although he was a big part of it. I watched him growing up and he was the person I watched being a City fan. He was huge and to work under him again will be class."

Reflecting on his time at Anderlecht, which was cut short after he