Pep Guardiola tried to convince his skipper otherwise when Vincent Kompany said he was finished at Manchester City .
The Belgian came to his decision after 11 years at the club, bowing out in incredible fashion as his thunderbolt to win the penultimate league game of the season helped them clinch an unprecedented clean sweep of domestic trophies.
Kompany has said he knew his time was over after the Leicester game and that he had nothing left to give. That did not stop his manager trying to change his mind though and persuade him to stay at the Etihad for another year .
"I tried to convince Vincent a lot to stay one more year with us - a lot," said Guardiola.
"In the last weeks, I said 'no, no, no you are not going to leave me' but he left me. When these guys take the decision it is taken."
City's defence has struggled this season without the departed Kompany and the injured Aymeric Laporte. They have only conceded three fewer goals in 18 games this year than they did in the entirety of the last campaign, and have already dropped the same number of points as they trail leaders Liverpool by 14 points.
Guardiola wanted to sign a centre-back in summer but the valuation of top target Harry Maguire was deemed too high and United bought the England international instead. City's manager said this week that he is not expecting to replace David Silva when he departs at the end of the season because there are other transfer priorities.
