The Croatia international is the latest guest on the Official Man City Podcast which is released on Thursday 16 November at 17:00 (UK) on CITY+.
The first of four summer signings, his switch to the Etihad Stadium marked a new chapter in a glittering career which had seen him operate exceptionally at Inter, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
During his spells in Italy, Spain and London, he won a host of honours – including four Champions Leagues (three with Los Blancos and one with the side now managed by Mauricio Pochettino).
Having already enjoyed a wonderful career and racked up over 400 domestic appearances before joining the Club, he revealed the lessons he’s learnt from Guardiola have been immensely valuable.
“It’s amazing and tough because [I’m learning] a lot of new things and I would have loved to come at an earlier age to learn, but it’s never too late to learn. I think like that,” he explained on the Official Man City Podcast.
“So I’m happy I can learn from him and what he tells you. I would’ve loved someone to have told me a few years ago.
“But yeah, now I can still learn and you can really tell he is fantastic.
“I’ve really enjoyed it from the first moment. It was tough the first few days to [understand] what he wants.
‘Don’t move there. Go there’. So I like to run a lot on the pitch sometimes. Go there. Go there. But he told me ‘be more calm, don’t run too much’.
“So it was like a little bit of surprise for me as well and it’s nice. The club you can tell from the first day is amazing. The people are great, and the city is also nice.
“Although there is a little bit more rain than in London, but I enjoy it. I feel really comfortable.
“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to come to a big club as Manchester City is and to be trained by one of the greatest managers ever.
“So I think I had to grab that opportunity and to be a better version of myself.”
Joining Kovacic at City ahead of the 2023/24 campaign was his exciting compatriot Josko Gvardiol.
Before the latter’s switch to the Etihad, he had immensely impressed at the 2022 World Cup by helping Croatia finish third in Qatar before winning the DFB Pokal with RB Leipzig.
At just 21-years-old, the versatile defender has been backed by Kovacic to enjoy a long career among the game’s elite.
He added: “I have in mind one guy that is really good and can be Josko [who] is still young. I think he can really dominate in European football.
“He can take, especially in Croatia, centre backs to on another level, because we always were talented playing from the back but he has something special.
“How he comes into the middle, so I think he can be for Croatian people, the guy. Especially being a left footed, I think they’re always so special - left footed players.”
