Phil Foden was a boyhood fan of Manchester City and he joined the team at the age of just 4, spending the next 12 years in the club’s academy before signing a scholarship in 2016.
The midfielder’s promise has been known from a very young age and there was much anticipation before he made his senior debut (having been named on the bench on several occasions beforehand).
Foden made his first appearance in the Sky Blue shirt when he came on as a substitute in a Champions League game against Feyenoord on the 21st of November 2017, replacing Yaya Toure for the final 15 minutes.
Foden’s first two seasons as a first-team player at City
After making his first-team bow in the Champions League, the teenager made nine more appearances during the 2017/18 season.
Foden was used sparingly by manager Pep Guardiola in the following campaign, and it took him until April 2019 to make his full Premier League debut against Cardiff City.
The midfielder scored his first league goal shortly afterwards, scoring the winner against Tottenham (he had scored his first senior goal against Oxford in the Carabao Cup earlier in the season).
Foden’s breakthrough year
The Englishman continued to play a bit part role at the beginning of the 2019/20 campaign but he came into his own after football returned behind closed doors during Covid. He scored 5 goals in 8 Premier League matches between June and July 2020.
At the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Foden had firmly established himself as a regular starter in Guardiola’s side. By May 2021, he had racked up 50 appearances in all competitions, scoring 16 goals and providing 10 assists.
He was named the PFA Young of the Player of the Year for his exploits (an award he would win back to back – 2021 and 2022).
PFA Player of the Year winner
Foden has continued to progress over the past three years and he is now one of City’s main creative players, along with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva.
Since the start of 2021/22, Foden has racked up 56 goals in all competitions, as well as contributing 32 assists.
His performances as City won their fourth Premier League title in a row led to him receiving the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers Association’s Footballer of the Year. Having signed a contract until 2027, fans can look forward to Foden plying his trade at the Etihad for many more years.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
