Vincent Kompany has backed Mikel Arteta as the right man to succeed Pep Guardiola as Manchester City's next coach.
Guardiola guided City to back-to-back Premier League titles for the first time in their history after pipping Liverpool by a single point last season.
The Catalan was recently forced to deny that he was planning to take a sabbatical year if he leads City to Champions League glory. But it still led many to doubt how long his reign will last, with his contract set to expire in 2021.
Speaking after being unveiled as player-manager at Anderlecht, Kompany thinks City won't need to search far for Guardiola's successor, backing Arteta as the "right man" for the job.
"I should have expected this question and yet I'm surprised," he told reporters.
"Let me start with this. Let City be City under Pep, which is an awesome club. I think they will win the Champions League eventually, soon hopefully.
"Behind Pep there is Mikel Arteta, who has a lot of knowledge who probably is the right man to look at.
Having decided not to renew his contract, Kompany departed after 11 seasons at the Etihad Stadium to take over at his boyhood club in his first management role.
At his farewell presentation at the club's trophy parade, Guardiola suggested Kompany would be back at the club "sooner or later" as a manager.
Asked if he would consider returning to City, he added: "I will just build my career, I will be as driven as Pep has been or the best managers have been that I know.
"Will I be as good? We will see."
