Forget Lionel Messi Andrea Iniesta Philipp Lahm or Manuel Neuer - superstar coach Pep Guardiola says Poland striker Robert Lewandowski is the most professional player he has ever worked with.

Guardiola helped develop the careers of four-time world player of the year Messi and Iniesta whose goal won the 2010 World Cup for Spain during his four-year reign coaching Barcelona.

Since coaching Bayern Munich in 2013 Guardiola has regularly switched Lahm Germany's 2014 World Cup winning captain from left-back to midfield dubbing him "the most intelligent player" he has worked with.

And Guardiola says Neuer is "the best" goalkeeper he has ever coached. But it is Poland striker Lewandowski who Guardiola says is the most dedicated to his profession.

"He is the most professional player I have ever met" said Guardiola ahead of Bayern's German Cup quarter-final at second-division Bochum on Wednesday.

"In his head he thinks about the right food sleep and training: 24 hours a day.

"He is always there never injured because he focuses on these things.

"He always knows what is important to be in the best condition."

Lewandowski has a contract at Bayern until 2019 but has been linked with a host of top clubs including Manchester City who Guardiola will coach next season and Real Madrid.

There has been speculation in the English media that Lewandowski will follow Guardiola who has won 19 titles as coach of either Bayern or Barcelona to Manchester.

Poland's captain has been a revelation this season with 19 goals in 19 league games in a total of 29 goals in all competitions for the Bavarian giants. He hit five in nine spectacular minutes against Wolfsburg last September which set four Bundesliga records.

But Guardiola admits it was not easy for the Polish hot-shot to settle when he first came into Bayern's star-studded squad in 2014 after leaving rivals Dortmund.

"But I was always very very pleased with him from the first moment" added Guardiola.

Meanwhile Manchester City's former coach Stuart Pearce says the English football club missed a chance to recruit Spanish Pep Guardiola over a decade ago when he departed from Qatari club Al Ahli.

Pearce who took the helm of the 'Citizens' between March 2005 and May 2007 explained that Guardiola then aged 34 trained for "a couple of days" with the first team of the club in summer 2005 reports Efe.

"I met him a few years ago when I was Man City manager. He was playing in the Middle East at the time and he and his agent came over. He trained with us for a couple of days and was looking for a contract. I'm afraid at the time we didn't have a lot to offer him" Pearce 53 told British broadcaster Sky Sports.

"If I'd have known how good a manager he was he could have had my job!" Pearce joked. "We would've cut out all this period he's had in management and got him to Man City!"

Guardiola 45 was announced on February 1 as the new coach of the English team as of next season to replace Manuel Pellegrini. The Catalan coach has emerged as one of the best coaches in the world after his experiences in Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

"Now they've got him in place and he's an outstanding manager. It puts a marker down to the league" Pearce added.