Phil just wants to be a City legend. That drives him ... he’s living the dream
PHIL FODEN has a medal for roughly every 14 games he has played for Manchester City.
It’s an incredible statistic – made even more spectacular by the fact that he has made 56 appearances for Pep Guardiola’s men since he helped them lift their last trophy, the Carabao Cup, 13 months ago.
In the coming weeks, Foden has the opportunity to add to a haul that already includes two Premier League titles, three League Cups, the FA Cup and two Community Shields from the first 117 games he has played for the club he has always supported.
That starts today, when City look to take the Carabao Cup home from Wembley for a fourth successive season, when they meet Tottenham.
Guardiola’s side are also on the brink of winning their third title in four years.
And with a Champions
League semi-final meeting with Paris Saint-Germain looming on Wednesday night, there is every chance that Foden’s 21st birthday on May 28 will be spent getting an early night – in preparation for the Champions League Final the following evening.
“Phil wants to be the best player in the world,” said Jason Wilcox, City’s academy manager and a title winner himself with Blackburn Rovers in 1995.
“It doesn’t matter how many medals he wins, I don’t think he will ever lose his hunger because he loves playing. It’s what he was born to do.
“When he was coming through the academy I asked all the players what it was that motivated them.
“Some of them said, quite understandably, that they wanted to buy mum and dad a big house, or look after their families.
“Phil said, ‘I just want to be a City legend.’ That was it. That’s what drives him. He loves City so much that he still wanted to be a ball boy for the first team when he was playing for the Under-18s. He is living his dream.”
One of Wilcox’s earliest memories of Foden was seeing the then 12-year-old midfielder thrown into a game at Stoke against players who were two years older and much bigger.
By that stage, talk of the “unbelievable kid from Stockport” had already reached City’s first- team dressing room. Pablo Zabaleta, the Argentine cult hero who is one of Lionel Messi’s best friends, could not believe his eyes when he finally saw Foden in the flesh.
Zabaleta said: “I had heard about this kid in the academy and when I started doing my coaching badges I got to work with Gareth Taylor and the Under-15 team.
“Phil was 14 – and even then his natural talent was incredible. But what really impressed me was his intelligence and the way he listened to his coaches.
“I think having someone with a Mancunian accent doing so well is very important to City after the era of spending so much money to buy foreign players and develop the infrastructure of the club.
“When David Silva left I think we all expected Foden to take his shirt. But he had to be patient because
Pep needed to be sure he was ready.
“It says a lot that Phil is now showing the same level of creativity and consistency that Silva brought to the team.
“It’s important that he keeps his feet on the ground because he has everything to become a star of world football.
“I think being a dad will help him. I saw Phil with his son at Vincent Kompany’s testimonial and being a family man will help him stay focused.”
Foden was named player of the tournament when he helped England win the Under-17s World Cup four years ago, and he has been capped six times at senior level already.
His place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros seems assured.
Philip Walter
Foden has plenty of unfinished business.