Pep Guardiola reveals how he once wrote to Sir Bobby Robson '“ asking if he could join Newcastle

Mancehster City's manager made the revelation in an interview for the film "Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager", which is being screened at St James's Park on May 22.

Guardiola played under Robson at Barcelona. And the midfielder wrote to Sir Bobby after he took charge of Newcastle in 1999.

“I am going to explain something secret," said Guardiola, who went on to manage Barcelona and Bayern Munich before coming to England.

"After the purge in Barcelona, he (Sir Bobby Robson) went to Newcastle, and I sent him a letter to offer me the chance to go to him and play at Newcastle.

“One of my dreams would have been to have played in England. He answered me and said it was not possible because he had a lot of ­quality, and he was right, but even in that tough moment, he was always so kind.

“He wrote a simple letter and it was like it meant so much more. Bobby is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life.

“It is not easy to manage Barcelona, especially in that period. I learned, when I saw him, how lonely the manager feels and, in the bad moments, always he had a typical smile.

“In my case, in that situation it would have been impossible to react how he did. For him, it was a tough period, and I learned a lot because, in that period I thought ‘I want to become a manager',

“How he handled that situation was incredible, and I admired him a lot.

“It doesn’t matter what the media says ... always try to be calm.”

* Bobby Robson: More Than A Manager will be screened in selected cinemas nationwide from June 1. For more details and ticket details for the St James's Park screening, go to bobbyrobsonfilm.com.