There were a lot of potential managers in the Arsenal team that Patrick Vieira captained but he , more than anybody , looked destined to be a top boss . His star quality was obvious from the start . If Manchester City do end up sacking Manuel Pellegrini then there is already one man at the club who would happily take over , if asked . Patrick wants to be a manager . He is intelligent , well-balanced and has a burning desire to win . He was a ferocious competitor on the pitch but off it he is a class act . Patrick Vieira could be next in line to replace Manuel Pellegrini at the Etihad Stadium . City manager Pellegrini faces a nervous wait to see if he keeps his job this summer . ( L-R ) Sergio Aguero , Yaya Toure and James Milner look dejected during the 4-2 Manchester derby defeat . He will feel slightly uncomfortable being linked to the top job . Not because he doesn ’ t want it but because Pellegrini is still in charge . Patrick has always been respectful . I met him for a tour of City ’ s new training ground recently and the respect he commands at that club is incredible . He has an aura about him — when he enters a room , people pay attention . At Arsenal , Tony Adams was a very visual captain on the pitch but behind the scenes Patrick always had plenty to say . Sportsmail columnist Martin Keown ( right ) recently met his former team-mate at City 's new training ground . Vieira was a captain who led by example during the pair 's time together at Highbury . The World Cup winning Frenchman finished his playing career at Manchester City . Read Sportsmail 's verdict on the Manchester derby between United and City . When he took over as captain he would hold team meetings without Arsene Wenger and was never afraid to speak his mind . He is not afraid to take on big personalities — that ’ s because personalities don ’ t come much bigger than Patrick ’ s . He did not shout and scream — he was always calm and spoke with real authority . He never wanted to make rash decisions and is such a solid , reliable character . That ’ s why he will make a fantastic manager one day . From the first day I met him at Arsenal , Patrick has remained respectful and likeable . Nothing has changed . He is a model professional but he has the personality and presence to take charge in a dressing-room full of big egos . That ’ s exactly what City need . He has worked with some of the best managers in the business — Arsene Wenger , Fabio Capello , Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho . There ’ s no doubt he will have been studying those men to see how they operate so he can absorb their wisdom and use it to his advantage . But Patrick won ’ t just try to emulate them , he is very much his own man . Vieira has learned from top managers including Jose Mourinho , Fabio Capello and Arsene Wenger ( above ) Pep Guardiola stepped up from coaching Barcelona reserves to become the youngest manager to win the Champions League . City did well to identify his talents and get him involved with the youth set-up . But he has not been killing time with the Under 21s . Everything he does is with an eye on one day becoming a manager . Moving from the youth team to a senior side expected to win the title is a big step but Pep Guardiola made the same leap at Barcelona . It can be done . It would be a huge challenge and one that Patrick would relish . It may be that he has to go elsewhere to perfect his craft before returning to City . Either way , Vieira has all the tools needed to succeed in the hot seat .
Patrick Vieira position has come under scrutiny at Manchester City . Manuel Pellegrini 's is in charge of the champion 's Elite Development Squad . The former Arsenal star is well equipped to become a top manager .