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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. 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.” I actually saw him play some of his best games for Villa when he was more central, because it opens up the whole pitch for him. 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. Mason Mount is extremely talented as well, so with those two to build around, we have really got something to go with in the next few years, and the same applies to Declan Rice, who should become a fixture in the team.
It is company Foden wants and expects to keep and a category Guardiola, for one, has long felt the player would inhabit so long as there was no deviation in his appetite, application and ambition. In truth, Puyol was not the only illustrious player of past Barcelona association to show an interest in Foden’s progress. Pep Guardiola’s presence at City has always ensured a degree of fascination in Catalonia at events unfolding in east Manchester and in the past Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano are thought to have idly asked their friend and compatriot Sergio Aguero what “that kid Foden” is like.The 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.
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.We had our heads in the sand for a long time but, more than 30 years on, we have caught up with the rest of the continent. There are creative playmakers everywhere in the Premier League, and in the England team too. 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. The future is very bright - the challenge for Gareth Southgate is to mould it all together to make a successful team. Getting the balance right for England Phil Foden made his senior England debut in September 2020 and has won 11 full caps, scoring two goals 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. It's easy to see why it happened, because the game is different now. The pitches are beautiful, the rules have changed. Why would you lump the ball in the way we had to put up with? It would be sacrilege. Hoddle was one of the managers responsible for beginning the transformation of the Premier League into the competition it is today when he signed one of its first superstars, Ruud Gullit, for Chelsea in 1995. "I came because of Glenn," Gullit told the BBC in 2020. "In the eyes of the Dutch, he was the best English footballer ever."
Create bespoke photographs. With easy-to-use customisation features, we let you take control and create bespoke photographs for any occasion. From gift giving to home decoration, our custom options are endless. Has it helped that Guardiola has been using him predominantly off the right when he has not started centrally? It is no secret that Foden much prefers the right to the left given the freedom it affords him to cut inside naturally on his left foot and he has taken advantage of the absence of the injured Kevin De Bruyne and the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to become arguably City’s key creative force. Guardiola used his wide players predominantly as instruments of control last season but that is already being tweaked somewhat this term with Jeremy Doku’s arrival and the changes to Foden’s role. It is understood that directly before the episode shown in the footage, Foden – who was attending a boxing event headlined by Amir Khan and Kell Brook on Saturday night – had been harassed by a group of people whom he had tried to ignore. After Foden started and disappointed in the 2021 final when City lost 1-0 to Chelsea here was a golden opportunity for him to prove he could thrive in the continent’s elite club contest. But though competent at the Ataturk Stadium no game-of-his-life display was produced. Those who will argue Inter are a tough team to dominate simply make the case for what is required: the ability to take hold of a contest in the highest-stake game and shape it their side’s way.
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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.
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