Amazing picture of 15-year-old Pep Guardiola with Terry Venables goes viral after legendary manager’s death aged 80

FOOTBALL fans were moved as an old picture of the late great Terry Venables and Pep Guardiola emerged.

Former England manager Venables died this weekend at the age of 80 following a long illness and tributes poured from all around the world.

People remembered El Tel with various blasts from the past and one of them had to do with his three-year stint as Barcelona manager.

A photo went viral showing the Dagenham legend being hoisted up by Barca heroes Paco Clos and Migueli.

That was when Venables led the Blaugrana to the 1986 European Cup Final by beating Goteborg in a dramatic semi-final second leg that saw him winning 5-4 on penalties after a 3-0 win at the Nou Camp.

But what makes this pic so special is the fact that a 15-year-old Guardiola, who was then part of the famous La Masia academy, can be seen celebrating in awe of the Tottenham legend.

The Manchester City boss is a Barcelona legend himself as he started out at the club at the tender age of 13 and went on to spend 11 years in the senior squad, most of which saw him wear the armband.

And Gary Neville believes the Spanish tactician learned a lot during Venables’ brief stint in Catalonia as he insists they both had a “very same capability”.

Neville played under the ex-Leeds boss for England and was part of the team that made it to the Euro 1996 semi-finals.

Neville tweeted: “When we hear people that play for Pep Guardiola now say that he can call the outcome of a game in training a few days before the match arrives, Terry Venables had that very same capability, he’d come through the Barcelona system.”

Venables didn’t win the European Cup in 1986 as Barcelona lost on penalties to Steaua Bucharest in the final.

However, the former Crystal Palace boss won a domestic Cup that year and LaLiga the season before.

Barcelona issued the following statement and reached out to his family: “FC Barcelona is deeply saddened of the death of Terry Venables, coach of Barca from 1984 to 1987. Our condolences go to his loved ones. Rest in peace.”

Aside from being a larger-than-life footie legend, Venables also found time to write a TV detective series, release a board game and run a private members’ club and boutique hotel.

An accomplished singer, the much-loved star also made it to No.23 in the charts with a cover of Elvis Presley’s song ‘If I Can Dream’, backed by a choir and recorded for The Sun’s World Cup advert in 2010.

Venables had a distinguished career on the pitch playing for Chelsea, Spurs and QPR in the 1960s and 70s, and winning two England at international level in 1964.

However, his greatest successes came as a manager, especially when he famously led England to the semi-finals in the 1996 European Championships.

Three Lions legends including Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, David Seaman, Gary Neville, Paul Gascoigne and Stan Collymore all paid tribute to Venables on social media after news of his passing was confirmed.

Venables started his managerial career with Crystal Palace who won the Second Division championship in 1979.

He then steered QPR to the 1982 FA Cup Final  and won the Second Division in 1983.

Venables took over the helm at Barcelona in 1984 – where he earned the nickname El Tel – and under his leadership they went on to win La Liga in 1985 and reached the European Cup final in 1986.

He returned to the UK in 1987 to take over at White Hart Lane and guided Spurs to victory in the FA Cup in 1991.

Venables was a hugely popular choice to take over as England head coach in 1994 and he was in charge for the 1996 European Championships.

In the group stages he guided us to a stunning 4-1 win over Netherlands, a game he would describe as “perfection – my most thrilling experience in football” after his retirement.

Having beaten Spain in the next round they were eventually knocked out by Germany on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the semi-final.

After England, he then took charge of Australia’s national team for a year and then headed back for a brief stint at Crystal Palace.

Venables led Middlesbrough to Premier League safety in 2001 before a short spell in charge of Leeds and then returning to England to work as No.2 to Steve McClaren. 

Venables had two daughters with his first wife Christine McCann, who he married in 1966.

He met his second wife Yvette Bazire in his father’s pub in Chingford in 1984 and she went with him to Barcelona. They married in 1991.