Kimmich says he learnt the most from Guardiola's coaching

Joshua Kimmich has praised Pep Guardiola's coaching, saying he learnt the most from the Catalan and that he 'savoured every training session'.

Guardiola coached the German defender during his three-year stay with Bayern Munich, where he won three league titles and two German cups.

Kimmich has emerged as Bayern's and his country's first choice full back but has shown himself to be more than capable of playing in a variety of positions.

And the 24-year-old credits his former coach's intense training sessions with making him more versatile.

'Under Pep, I savoured every training session,' Kimmich told France Football.

'He's a perfectionist who's always worried about details and doesn't want to leave anything to chance.

'His sessions were so intense. He loves the game. On a personnel level, he played me at various positions to make me versatile. I even played a few weeks at centre-back.

'For him, it was key to know where your teammates are at any moment, but also the opposition in order to anticipate moves and play better in space. It's under him that I learnt the most.

'In the space of a few months, I learnt a huge amount about the game and found space on the pitch I wasn't aware of before.'

Kimmich was part of the Bayern side that repelled a potent Liverpool attack at Anfield on Tuesday night.

The Germans left Merseyside with a commendable 0-0 draw. On Wednesday, Guardiola's Manchester City team begin their knockout-stage campaign in Gelsenkirchen, where they will face Bundesliga strugglers Schalke in the Round of 16.