Pep Guardiola could have been Man Utd manager - if he had understood Sir Alex Ferguson's overtures

Pep Guardiola has admitted he might have ended up managing Manchester United had he realised Sir Alex Ferguson was trying to line him up as his Old Trafford successor over dinner in New York.

But ahead of Sunday's eagerly awaited Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Guardiola insists he has no regrets about taking charge at Manchester City and says no club made more of an effort to secure his services.

City will open up an 11-point lead over Jose Mourinho’s side at the top of the Premier League table if they claim a 14th successive league win, and deal a huge blow to their rival’s own title aspirations in the process.

Yet Guardiola could have been standing in the United dug-out had he better understood Ferguson’s overtures to him when the pair met for dinner in a New York restaurant in December 2012, six months before the Scot retired after 27 years at the Old Trafford helm.

READ MORE: Mourinho demands strong refereeing against Man City

READ MORE: Guardiola - I would rather retire than change

Ferguson claimed in his book, Leading, that he asked Guardiola, who was halfway through a 12-month sabbatical after leaving Barcelona, to contact him before he accepted an offer from another club. But the Catalan says he failed to grasp Ferguson’s wish and instead joined Bayern Munich, with United eventually turning to David Moyes.

“My English in that period was not as good as it is right now – and so maybe I just didn't understand what Sir Alex said,” said Guardiola.

“We met in a magnificent restaurant for dinner and I think he has said he suggested to me something about going to Old Trafford.

“But I really don’t remember that! We spoke about life, about football, about the Premier League. But there was no message sent to me under the table about United. I think I would remember that!

“It was just two friends, two colleagues in football, talking about many things. But what I do remember is that Sir Alex spoke really fast and it was difficult to understand him! But it was nice because he chose an amazing restaurant – and of course he paid!”

Guardiola said he had already made his mind up at that time to move to Bayern but says no English club made more of an effort to entice him than City, whom he joined last year after three seasons in Bavaria.

“Bayern Munich were the first club to call me, and then Manchester City, but I had already decided to try to prove myself in Germany and live that experience,” he said. “After that, from almost the day I arrived [at Bayern], Manchester City asked me again and I said that if I went to the Premier League I would go to them.

“I spoke to Khaldoon [al-Mubarak, the City chairman] and Txiki [Begiristain, the director of football] again during my last period in Bayern Munich and they showed more interest than any other club to pick me up. That was so important to me.

“I didn’t think about the hypothetical titles that could be won in the future or the titles that had been won in the past. And believe me, I don’t have any regrets about that.”

Guardiola has won plaudits for his proactive, possession-based football at Barcelona, Bayern and City and says he would rather retire than play deep and on the counter-attack.

“If that is going to happen [possession football not working], I’m going to retire,” Guardiola said. “Because I don’t feel it another way. I could defend more deep. But I want to have the ball and I want to play. The idea [of changing], that is not going to happen. Never. Never in my life.”

Meanwhile, City captain Vincent Kompany has admitted he is likely to retire from international football with Belgium after the World Cup finals in Russia next summer.

“At the moment it’s highly likely but I haven’t confirmed because I don’t want to make a decision too soon,” he said. “And if we go out in the group stages I might just say, ‘I need another go at this!’”