Foden’s ready for the big stage
from JEREMY CROSS in Lyon
PEP GUARDIOLA says rising star Phil Foden is ready to shine.
The 18-year-old midfielder has emerged in the last 12 months as one of the most exciting young talents in English football.
Foden helped England Under-17s win the World Cup in India last year before trying to establish himself in the Manchester City first team.
Despite showing glimpses of his gifts, Foden has struggled to hold down a regular place in Guardiola’s side. While England boss Gareth Southgate has called up young talent like Jadon
Sancho, Joe Gomez and
Ben Chilwell, Foden has been kept waiting.
That could be because he has made just two starts this season and started one Champions
League game, last season’s group stage defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk.
City face Lyon in France tonight and with Foden poised to sign an improved long-term contract, his manager said: “Definitely, he is ready.
“When Phil appeared in the last pre-season game (against Bayern Munich in Miami), I was incredibly impressed.
“He’s stronger and more conscious that he’s able to play with us.
“He played 20 minutes in the last game and was so aggressive with the ball and intense without it. I have the feeling that every time he played, he played good.
“In pre-season or during the season, a few minutes or 90 minutes, he always plays good.
“He’s ready to play, he’s part of the squad. He’s definitely ready.”
City are on the brink of winning Group F and are favourites to win the Champions League this season. Now Guardiola has to convince his players they can do it.
The Spaniard said: “Nobody can show me you definitely can win the Champions League in a defensive way.
“We play how we want to play. Our job is to convince the players. You have to adapt, adjust something, and it depends on the players.
“We have to adapt of course. They (Lyon) have top players up front.
“France won the World Cup being so solid, an incredibly tough team and with the skills up front. It’s always quite similar.”
2016 before losing to Real Madrid. Guardiola believes some people will think he’s failed unless City win the Champions League.
He said: “I’m pretty sure our fans don’t have regrets for what these guys have been doing.
“That is the best compliment, the best success a team can have.
“But try to win the Champions League, why not? We want the last
16 and they know the size of the competition – it speaks for itself.”
Guardiola will be without the injured Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Gabriel Jesus and Ilkay Gundogan, and he wants revenge for Lyon’s shock win at the Etihad in September.
Guardiola added: “We lost the first game against a tough team, but now we have the chance to qualify with one game left.
“In the last month we played at a high level, scoring a lot of goals.
“Never in nine or 10 years have I been able to win three games away, so it will be an exceptional situation.”