MIRROR
Manchester City star Phil Foden’s performances caught the attention of none other than Lionel Messi.
Foden progressed through the academy at the Etihad Stadium to become one of the stars of Pep Guardiola‘s team; the 23-year-old has won 15 major trophies during his time with Man City, including five Premier League titles. Guardiola handed Foden his senior debut with Man City in November 2017 in a Champions League tie against Feyenoord.
His Premier League debut would come a month later in a 4-1 win against Tottenham, and the versatile forward’s importance to Guardiola’s squad has only increased with each passing season. Guardiola has forged his name in Man City folklore with his accomplishments since 2016, but he is also held in similar regard at Barcelona.
The Spaniard won 15 major trophies at the Camp Nou as a player and a further 14 as a manager, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies. Messi was a key part of that success under Guardiola’s management. And according to The Telegraph, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has often kept tabs on his former manager, including some of his new players.
It’s been stated that Messi, along with former Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano, often asked his Argentina teammate Sergio Aguero about Foden during the youngster’s rise to the first-team. Aguero made 81 caps alongside Messi for their country, as well as 37 appearances alongside Foden for Man City.
Foden was a key player on Man City’s run to winning a historic treble last season. The 23-year-old scored 15 goals and provided eight assists, including one in the 4-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final. This season has seen Foden continue to have a similar influence on the team, with Guardiola selecting him for all but one game in all competitions. Foden has featured 19 times and has scored five goals with four assists.
Foden has gradually worked his way from being a promising young player to the heartbeat of the Man City team in the past couple of seasons. Guardiola has selected him for 11 out of the 13 Premier League games so far this season, playing the full 90 minutes on nine occasions.
