´I have to decide´, says Guardiola on Rooney´s England claim

Pep Guardiola said he will “have to decide” on his next managerial venture after Wayne Rooney suggested the Spaniard should be the next man in charge of England.

It was announced on Friday that Lee Carsley had been appointed as the interim coach of the Three Lions ahead of their Nations League fixtures next month.

Carsley, who has been England Under-21 manager since 2021, led his side to victory in the European Championships last year following their triumph over Spain.

Guardiola was one of several names listed to succeed Gareth Southgate, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Graham Potter and Eddie Howe all linked with the position.

The Spaniard was asked about former England captain Wayne Rooney’s comments, proposing he should be the next permanent manager.

“I have to decide what I want to do with my life,” said Guardiola. “Do I want to carry on here, take a break or manage a national team?

“I’m looking forward to all coming back together and seeing how we behave every day.”

“There are a lot of options. I’m fully excited for this season because I see things I like. It’s a new challenge and we can break our own record.”

Boss pic.twitter.com/Tfmlqk17nR

— Manchester City (@ManCity) August 8, 2024

Manchester City face Manchester United in this weekend’s Community Shield, with Guardiola out to claim his third success and add another trophy to his growing collection.

City lost to Arsenal in last year’s final at Wembley, and Guardiola stressed the importance of the fixture ahead of their Premier League opener against Chelsea.

“It’s important, it’s a final against United. But part of that is to try refine ourselves step by step,” Guardiola said.

“Our break for most of the players and the young players, how they behave on a bigger stage, [this is] a good game. We will go for it.”