In the modern game, though, if you are playing in any of these positions, you have to be a goalscorer too and I think that is where Foden has the edge on everyone else I have spoken about, because he will go right into the six-yard box to get on the end of things. We also changed the academy system about 10 years ago, and you are seeing the fruits of that now - people such as Foden and Mount were just starting their journey then, and they have been brought up with the kind of football they are playing now, for club and country.

Judging the correct time to release it is one of the things he has got to work on but I am sure he will improve his decision-making while he is at City, because he has got the ability. Foden still has time but, maybe, not as much as his 23 years suggest. If Bellingham had chosen City, Foden’s hopes of becoming “the man” under Guardiola would have seriously receded, as shown by the 13 goals scored by the 20-year-old Bellingham in 14 Madrid appearances.

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If he gets the balance right in that area of his game, then I think he will start to flourish again. There no reason why he cannot be out on the left for England, where he likes to play. Haaland, also 23, Paris Saint Germain’s Kylian Mbappe, 24, and of course Foden’s international team-mate, Jude Bellingham, still only 20 but already drawing gasps of astonishment for Real Madrid and England, are the poster boys for a new generation of superior talent now that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are in the twilight of their careers.

Wall prints and custom sizing. Looking for something larger than life? We offer Phil Foden photos up to 90x60 inches in size, as well as full-sized wall prints. Create a feature wall in your home or workplace! With those players involved then, whoever the opposition, the right balance is there - I feel Rice will be hugely important to Foden's England career, and vice versa. Pep Guardiola has given Phil Foden only a substitute’s role in many of their biggest games. Photograph: Dave Thompson/APThe expectation in England used to be for me to dictate play for 90 minutes, but it was never about doing that, and it still isn't. Look at Kevin de Bruyne now - you might not see him all game but then he sets up a goal with an unbelievable pass that no-one else can see, let alone execute it. That seemingly inexorable rise to the top was not going to be without its hiccups but, after an impressive start to last season when he scored seven goals in 11 Premier League and Champions League matches, Foden would gradually find himself on the outside looking in. What De Bruyne, Grealish, Foden or Mount can do, which is to consistently create, is the toughest thing to do on a football pitch. Goalscoring is difficult too, of course, but if you are a number 10 now you have to score goals as well as make them. The pressure is always on them to produce something to change a game. In a statement given to the Guardian, Greater Manchester Police said: “GMP are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a disturbance at the AO arena last night (19 February 2022). We are conducting some further enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

Phil Foden sees a shot saved in this year’s Champions League final, when he came on for Kevin De Bruyne. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian After Phil Foden had wreaked havoc against Liverpool at Anfield a few seasons ago, teeing up two goals before claiming a stunning one of his own to round off a 4-1 win, Carles Puyol felt moved to laud the young Manchester City tyro on social media. “What a great player,” the former Barcelona captain said, and he should know.

That's where English football has really won out as a result of foreign managers and players coming in from the mid-1990s onwards. That type of player - the technician, really - has really flourished because of a change in playing style. It was a long wait, but we have moved on.

He could thrive there eventually but I think he is still working out when to hold on to the ball at City. It was different at Villa because he was their release man, and he had to carry the ball, draw opposition players towards him and get the team up the pitch. After making his debut as a 17‑year‑old in November 2017, Foden has become a key member of Pep Guardiola’s team, winning three Premier League titles, four League Cups, and an FA Cup. Last season he was voted the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year.In 235 outings for City Foden’s tally is 65, so a rise in the finishing ratio would aid his case. He will hope to start doing so on Saturday, when Guardiola’s leaders welcome Klopp’s second-placed Liverpool. Midfielder for both Manchester City and the England national team, Phil Foden has become synonymous with both teams' recent successes at home and abroad, and at Sport Photo Gallery, we're documenting the young star's rise to footballing fame. When Silva ended a glittering decade at City he was rated by many as the club’s greatest footballer. Three years later De Bruyne’s serial A-list displays allow a similar claim. In January 2020, before Silva’s departure that summer, Guardiola said: “We trust Phil. If we didn’t believe in him we might go to the market to replace David, but we have Phil.”