'Trailblazer Pep in total Kroos control

TWO of the all-time greats, sharing an era where they have dominated their respective crafts

- CHARLIE BENNETT

Take Pep Guardiola, the all-conquering manager who currently has a total grip on English football. Clinching a fourth straight Premier League title, straight after a historic Treble, would be unprecedented of course, but his previous heroics at Barcelona and Bayern Munich had already given him divine status within the game.

Or Toni Kroos, the four-time Champions League winner who also lifted the World Cup with Germany. Still dominating in the Real Madrid engine room, few can claim to stand above him in his era of midfielders.

The duo worked together in Munich, winning the first of Guardiola's three consecutive Bundesliga titles.

That would hardly be his finest achievement, given Bayern's dominance in Germany, but the lasting legacy surpassed the trophies itself.

Speaking three years ago, Kroos highlighted the impact the Spaniard had on how football was played.

Much like in England, where even lower-league teams try to play out from the back or with inverted full-backs, Guardiola's philosophies have left a lasting impression.