Highlights
- Phil Foden has been at the top of football for quite some time.
- Bursting onto the scene in 2017-18, Foden won six Premier League titles by the age of 24.
- In 2023-24, he won the Premier League Player of the Year award.
At club level, Phil Foden has proven throughout his career with Manchester City that he is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. By the age of 24, Foden had already won the Champions League once, Premier League six times, FA Cup twice and the League Cup on four occasions. The standout being the 2022-23 season, where the Sky Blues managed to win a historic Treble with Foden one of the first names on the team sheet each week.
In 2023-24, Foden continued that remarkable form and was rewards with the Premier League Player of the Season Award as City won an unprecedented fourth straight league title. With that in mind, here are all the reasons that make the England international so good at what he does.
![Two pictures of Bukayo Saka smiling, in England and Arsenal kit](https://static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/why-is-bukayo-saka-so-good.jpg)
Related
Why is Bukayo Saka so Good?
“Burdened with glorious purpose” the Arsenal and England winger is a special player.
Consistency and Workrate
Foden has put in the miles to get where he is
Having the ability to perform at a consistent level with an elite workrate is part and parcel of being managed by Pep Guardiola, and just looking at his stats across the 2023-24 domestic season for City shows just how sensational he is through the middle.
Foden’s stats as an attacking midfielder under Pep were particuarly impressive during the 23/24 season, with the player managing to gain an average rating of 8.2 in the role (via FootballCritic).
Standout performances from that season saw a player oozing with confidence in front of goal, knowing that he had the backing of his manager and teammates to pick the ball up on the half-turn and make darting runs towards the box to open up the opposition’s defense.
Phil Foden’s 2023-24 Season for Manchester City |
|
---|---|
Appearances |
53 |
Goals |
27 |
Assists |
12 |
Honours |
Premier League, Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year, Man City’s Player of the Season |
Ability on the ball
As a ball playing technician, Foden has the tight-control abilities of some of the greats of the game. When you see Foden with the ball at his feet, you notice that he will usually push the ball forward almost exclusively with his preferred left foot, taking multiple small touches to keep the ball close enough to react to oncoming defenders.
Another aspect of his incredible skill lies in his ability to drop the shoulder and break lines of midfield, especially when he is in tight positions, to then run at the defense to try and try to make something happen in front of goal.
Helping this great ability to turn and run is his acute awareness of the shape of play on the pitch, knowing exactly what he plans to do before he has even made the half turn. In terms of players with their back to goal, there isn’t anyone that you’re going to find that can dictate play better than Foden in the Premier League in the modern game.
![Why Phil Foden Wears Number 47 and has Tattoo](https://static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/phil-foden-bukayo-saka-and-cole-palmer-s-202324-stats-compared-copy.jpg)
Related
Why Phil Foden Wears Number 47 and has Tattoo
The heartwarming reason why Phil Foden wears the No. 47 shirt for Manchester City and also has a tattoo of the same number.
Versatile Across the Front Line
Englishman can play in a number of positions
When City have a fully fit side, it’s not unnatural to see Foden starting on the left or right with De Bruyne sitting in the number 10 role behind Erling Haaland. But, as Danny Murphy pointed out for the BBC back in March 2024, he is more than comfortable cutting inside and dictating the play when he starts out wide:
“There is a debate about where he should play for City and England – but it really doesn’t matter because he is so comfortable across the line, on the left or right or as a number 10 in Pep Guardiola’s side behind Erling Haaland when Kevin de Bruyne is out.
“Foden gets into the ’10’ position wherever he plays, because of his game intelligence, and of course he delivers too.”
What makes Foden vital for Guardiola is also his ability to find the back of the net, even when he is starting at the left or right rather than down the middle supporting a lone striker.
A great example of this can be seen below, where Foden started on the right for City against Nottingham Forest. Foden would cap off a 46 pass move by the Sky Blues with a sensational strike from his left foot after getting the assist from Kyle Walker. You can see from the clip how Foden has the ability and vision to get into the perfect position for the shot, knowing that Walker would be bounding on the outside ready to cut in. With the foresight and ability to have this sort of game-reading nous at only 23 at the time, the sky is really the limit for a player who is still a couple of years away from his “prime.”
![Bukayo Saka vs Cole Palmer vs Phil Foden Stats Comparison](https://static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/phil-foden-bukayo-saka-and-cole-palmer-s-202324-stats-compared.jpg)
Related
Bukayo Saka vs Cole Palmer vs Phil Foden Stats Comparison
England are blessed to have three wonderfully talented young players – we look at which of them has posted the most impressive stats this season.
Pep Guardiola’s High Praise
The Manchester City boss loves the Manchester-born player
Considering how much of an important role Foden has played for Guardiola’s City side it’s no surprise that the gaffer has nothing but praise for the elite-level footballer.
Speaking in May 2024, just after Foden won the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award in a season that saw him net 24 times for City and make 10 assists, Pep said that his charge could end up being one of the greatest to ever play for the Cityzens. Via The Guardian, he said:
“I don’t know – this club has a long, long history. So you can’t forget what happened with the players who played at Maine Road, like everyone knows. If he continues his career until the end here and at [the same] level he can be one of the best, for sure.”
Even before that, Guardiola claimed at the end of the 2018/19 season that:
“He is the most talented player I have ever seen.”
Given that Guardiola has coaches Lionel Messi during his career, that is sure to be some of the highest praise he could receive.
Phil Foden’s Career Statistics |
|
---|---|
Club Appearances |
270 |
Club Goals |
87 |
England Caps |
41 |
England Goals |
4 |
Major Honours |
16 |
Remaining Humble
Foden remains true to himself
Despite the praise and his clear abilities on the pitch, Foden remains humble and when speaking back in March 2024, he claimed that he isn’t yet world class. He said, via GOAL:
“To do it for a number of years – that’s when you get the world-class status. I’m enjoying the season and I’m in good form at the moment, so I want to keep that up. Sometimes it just clicks and happens. Maybe this is my best season, yes. It’s the most consistent run of games that I’ve played. I’ve been playing in a new position as well – more inside and more midfield and I’m enjoying it.”
![Phil Foden celebrating](https://static0.givemesportimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/mixcollage-03-mar-2024-08-23-pm-1819.jpg)
Related
Phil Foden Reveals Meaning Behind his Goal Celebration
Phil Foden scoring has become a familiar sight in recent times and the reason behind the Manchester City star’s celebration has been revealed.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct 23.07.24
About Author
You may also like
-
Tottenham agreement for Johnny Cardoso could be a marketing masterstroke
-
Manuel Ugarte Set to Play for Man Utd v Southampton
-
Liverpool eyeing up a move for Gleison Bremer
-
Why Zhilei Zhang is Picking Daniel Dubois to Upset Anthony Joshua
-
Khabib Nurmagomedov Names The Fighter he Regards as ‘The Future’