Young gun Foden can be ‘new David Silva’
COACH SAYS WORLD CUP HERO FODEN CAN FORCE HIS WAY INTO CITY SIDE
TWELVE minutes into his first game for City’s first team, Phil Foden came up with a turn that had everyone sitting up in their seats.
The 17-year-old took a pass from Tosin Adarabioyo and in one sweet, fluid movement turned past a floundering Ander Herrera and passed the ball on.
It also had his first football manager purring with delight, even though he is an Old Trafford season ticket holder!
“I’m a United fan, but I don’t think Ander Herrera has recovered from that,” said Steve Williams, who first coached the Stockport lad at Reddish Vulcans as a seven-yearold. Vulcans were bursting with pride at the weekend when Foden, one of their own, helped England under-17s lift their World Cup, and he was named player of the tournament.
Now Foden faces an even bigger challenge than he did in Kolkata, when another brilliant display, and two goals, helped England bounce back from 2-0 down to beat Spain 5-2 in the final.
He has to find a way into a City team that has an astonishing array of talent in the attacking midfield area where Foden excels.
But Williams thinks he can see a chink of light for the lad from Edgeley.
“I think he is the natural successor to David Silva, in a year or two,” he said.
“I hope he gets his chance but there is so much competition with Bernardo Silva coming in, then there’s Kevin de Bruyne who can play as a No. 10, and Raheem Sterling – and if they buy Alexis Sanchez in the summer his opportunities will be limited. But my gut feeling is that he could play at that level. “It’s hard to tell when he is playing with other 17 and 18-yearolds, but I think if he played alongside De Bruyne and Leroy Sane he would sit in there naturally and do a job for City. “The game is played in your head and he has it in his head. He is half a yard ahead of everyone else. “The only problem at first was his size, because he was tiny. “When he started, it was the time of Patrick Vieira, and players were real athletes – and you wondered if a lad his size would get an opportunity. “But then Lionel Messi came along and maybe changed that mentality, and Phil is in that style – he would run past entire teams at that age. “Parents from other teams would come and watch him play from adjacent pitches.” Joe Makin has also known Foden since he joined Vulcans, and as City’s grassroots development coordinator has tracked his progress closely.
The game is played in your head. He is half a yard ahead of everyone else Foden’s Reddish Vulcans coach Steve Williams