Pep Guardiola’s ability to improve players will go down as the Spanish manager’s “legacy” says Shaun Goater.

Manchester City have spent £426.1 million since appointing Guardiola but Goater believes the City manager has improved a number of his signings and players who he inherited on his arrival to the Premier League in 2016.

Guardiola, formerly the manager at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, has led Manchester City to a 15-point lead at the top of the Premier League after they defeated Watford 3-1 at Vicarage Road yesterday.

“This is almost his legacy when he goes to clubs — he improves players,” Goater told Sky Sports. “Putting aside what he spends for players, at Bayern all you hear about is players saying how much that he [Guardiola] improved them.

Fernandinho has credited Guardiola with making him a better player as well as turning City into one of Europe’s most feared teams.

“I am sure that will be the same with all the Manchester City players,” Fernandinho said.

“This is a huge part of how he manages it and [with the] coaches he improves players — Manchester City play a beautiful game.

“I think, even for the neutral, they look at Manchester City and think this is wonderful stuff that they are seeing.”

Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher has described Guardiola as the “Star” in City’s success and is a key reason behind Raheem Sterling’s improvement at the Etihad this season — which has seen the England international score 13 Premier League goals so far.

When asked whether he agreed with Carragher’s view, Goater said: “I think 50 per cent of that statement is right.

“The other 50 per cent is Raheem has to be open to listening to the advice and knowledge — because you could have a player that isn’t interested and thinks I am good and doesn’t want to take it in.

“Sterling being open to taking in the advice and knowledge has improved him but he has had to go and execute this information [on the pitch].

“He doesn’t just show up in a game and thinks it happens — he has to implement it. He has improved and a lot of it is down to Pep Guardiola but a lot of credit is also down to him [Sterling], taking his knowledge on and then he implements it and we are seeing the outcome of it.”