Manchester City defender Nathan Ake is grateful to manager Pep Guardiola for sticking with him during a tough first season.
Ake is now in his third year as a City player.
He told the Mirror: I am grateful to Pep for all he means to me on and off the pitch. When my father passed away two years ago, he was fantastic for me. If I needed things or if I wanted time off, I just had to tell him. He gave me all the time and space I needed. Before my father passed away, things at City were not perfect for me. After he was gone, everything went up in an upward trend.
I got a starting spot at City, we won everything there was to win, and I became a regular in the Dutch national team. Off the pitch things went well too. I got married and we had a great daughter. I think my dad had something to do with all of it. In my first season at City, Pep was great for me. I didn't perform as I should have. I was not quite myself."
He continued: Guardiola could also have said 'this is not really my player' but he didn't.
"He came to me and said 'keep working hard, next year is a new season.' He kept believing in me and always told me that I would become important for him. That trust was really fabulous - and last season everything fell into place.
"I can tell you that Guardiola is by far the best manager I have ever come across. I have learnt so much from him on the pitch.
When you join City, football suddenly seems very different, but he makes you pick things up very quickly. But that human aspect, added to it, makes him absolutely fantastic."