Pep Guardiola is a man who never seems to rest. His on-pitch genius in tandem with his relentless work ethic has seen him establish dominance in a multitude of footballing countries, and he has become one of the most decorated managers in the sport’s history as a result.
With a resume featuring top clubs like Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich, it’s fair to say the Spaniard has had a vast array of world-class talent under his tutelage over the years. Were he to be asked who, in his opinion, was the most talented player he had ever managed, he could effectively have scrolled through a list of the greatest players of all time to find his answer, given he had worked with the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Thierry Henry.
But Guardiola’s answer was neither of the aforementioned three nor was it any one of the other superstars from the iconic Barcelona squad in the late 2000s and early 2010s. He instead turned to an individual who broke onto the scene far more recently.
Guardiola Named Foden ‘Most Talented’ Player He Has Coached
The Manchester City ace made his debut in 2017
Phil Foden burst onto the scene in senior football in 2017, making his first appearance for the Light Blues in the Champions League at just 17 years of age. It didn’t take very long for fans to recognise his true potential, and boss Guardiola once made an eye-catching claim about the Stockport-born ace during a press conference:
“I have said many times in press conferences, but maybe not said it in front of him. Phil is the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager. He has everything to become one of the best players.”
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Phil Foden’s Senior Career Statistics |
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|---|---|---|
|
Club |
Country |
|
|
Appearances |
308 |
43 |
|
Goals |
97 |
4 |
|
Assists |
60 |
8 |
Having already claimed a Premier League Player of the Season award, Foden looks well on course to achieving his highly-touted potential. He has already registered over 100 career goals for club and country in over 350 outings, and has a remarkable six Premier League titles plus one Champions League on his record.
Foden has his eyes firmly set on continental awards now, namely the Ballon d’Or, having already lapped up most of what’s available domestically. He is among the Englishmen most likely to win the award in the future, and he earned his highest ranking in 2024, finishing 11th.
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There’s no debate about whether Foden’s talent is deserving of such high praise – the proof is quite apparent. But did Guardiola forget he had worked with a certain Argentinian who many regard as being the greatest to have ever graced the sport? In fact, the Spaniard himself iterated such a claim, when he named Messi as his football GOAT, to little surprise in 2024.
The World Cup winner aside, Guardiola also overlooked the formidable midfield duo of Iniesta and Xavi, who were central to Barcelona’s success and also guided Spain to consecutive Euros triumphs in 2008 and 2012 and a World Cup in between in 2010 – such a level of dominance is quite simply extraordinary.
Even beyond the Blaugrana, Guardiola has coached a number of talented players including Robert Lewandowski at Bayern Munich, and Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland at Manchester City.
Of course, Foden being a then-recent youth academy graduate at the time would have meant that any praise his way would have made a world of difference to his confidence. That may have been Guardiola’s motive, and his words proved prophetic given the player’s eventual rise to prominence that followed.
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Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt.com – Correct as of 20/03/2025
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