Phil Foden, the youngest member of the Sky Blues has proven he has a lot of potential in him, which is why he is widely considered to be one of the future stars of Manchester City. But will he blossom in a Manchester City superstar with lack of playtime?
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 06: Phil Foden of Manchester City in action during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Leicester City at Etihad Stadium on May 06, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Tom Flathers/Man City via Getty Images)
Born on May 28th, 2000, Phil Foden started off his football career at only 16 years of age when he joined Manchester City U18 from the youth squad. There he continued improving as a player, and it did not take him long to find himself wearing the senior team jersey. In summer of 2017, when Phil Foden was only 17, he joined the Manchester City team, as a promising player, who is expected to one day be the key midfielder for the Sky Blues. Even the Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola believes in the youngster. In an interview he stated;
“Phil Foden will be an important player for Manchester City for the next decade”.
Phil Foden made his first ever Premier League start on April 3rd against Cardiff, which Manchester City won 2:0. This season alone, Foden accumulated 25 appearances for his team, combining games in Premier League, ELF Cup, Champions League, FA Cup and Community Shield. In 25 games played, Phil Foden scored 7 goals and added 2 assists. While his numbers are not spectacular, he does a lot off the ball as well. Guardiola sees a lot of potential in him, stating Phil Foden, despite being young, is capable of doing everything. One of the biggest factors that makes him an exceptional and promising player is his ability to create chances for his teammates. When asked about Foden, Guardiola added:
“He is an exceptional player but at the same time it is not easy for him, playing in David Silva’s position, Kevin de Bruyne’s position, with Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva,”
“But he has the passion and he wants to be here. We are delighted he is here. I assure you next season he is going to play more minutes than he has this season”
While it’s still way too early to say how good will Phil Foden be, and most importantly how important will he become for the Sky Blues, Foden without a doubt has the talent to become something special. With enormous talent and exceptional guidance from his experienced teammates and Guardiola, Foden has a great chance to blossom, however, there is one last and arguably the most important decision he needs to make; should he stay in Manchester City or leave the club in search of more play time?
Jadon Sancho, who was another product of Manchester City youth academy moved to Borussia Dortmund in August 2017, where he got a lot more playtime and ultimately became one of the most promising young talents in the world. This might be tempting for Foden, who understandably needs to have a lot more playtime to develop his skills. While Guardiola stated he will get more playtime next season, there is a question of how much is “more”. A young player like Foden would benefit greatly from playing 30+ games per season, which I hardly believe he will achieve at Manchester City, a team that is already filled with star players. That is one big factor that might make Phil Foden decide to leave his club just so he could get more playtime. While leaving Manchester City might seem like a stupid decision, it would, in the end, benefit him in the long run.
What the future holds for him is yet unknown, however, with the right approach, Folden could and should be the next English football superstar.
