Phil Foden stars to offer Manchester City glimpse of multiple futures

07 August 2020 09:13
Twenty-year-old excelled against Madrid and his talent is such he could play in any number of roles across midfield and attackNot long after Pep Guardiola arrived at Manchester City in the summer of 2016, a few of the academy players were invited to train with the first team during pre-season. Afterwards, Guardiola was almost beside himself with excitement. “Did you see that kid in the centre of the field?” he asked his staff incredulously. He liked the look of Brahim Díaz. He liked the look of Jadon Sancho. But it had taken only one training session for Guardiola to fall in love with Phil Foden.Still, the course of true love rarely runs in a straight line, and in many ways perhaps this was its consummation. Four years into Guardiola’s City reign, he handed a start to a 20-year-old Foden in a crucial Champions League knockout game against Real Madrid. Ahead of Bernardo Silva, ahead of Riyad Mahrez, ahead of David Silva, the man whose place he is assumed to be taking. If it felt like a passing of the torch, then on a night of silent jubilee for City it also felt like a liminal moment for Foden himself: the point at which he stopped being potential, stopped being the future, and became the present. Related: Jesus ensures stylish Manchester City sweep past Real Madrid Continue readingreadfullarticle

Source: TheGuardian