Pep Guardiola hit back at Gary Neville with a withering assessment of the Manchester United legend’s managerial career.

Neville last week attacked Guardiola’s decision to name just six substitutes against Burnley – describing it as a ‘joke.’

The Sky Sports pundit insisted the Manchester City manager should have given a youth team player the opportunity of sitting on the bench for a senior match, claiming it sent out the wrong message to the club’s academy.

But Guardiola dismissed Neville’s comments – and couldn’t resist taking a swipe at his ill-fated three-month spell in charge of Valencia.

“It was the first time in my life and an exception,” he said. “This guy, the pundit, he has to know my job is serious. It’s not a joke – never is it a joke. It’s so serious.

“And he should know that because he was a manager – for a short time.”

A spate of injuries to key players prompted Guardiola to name one less substitute at Turf Moor, with David Silva pulling out late the day before.

But Neville insisted the Catalan should have rewarded one of the club’s much heralded academy starlets – even if the youth team had a game against Swansea on the Friday night.

Culled from Manchester Evening News