UEFA.com wonderkid: Meet the Stockport Iniesta
Friday, January 19, 2018
Article summary
"He is the future," Yaya Touré said of his 17-year-old Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden, whose midfield menace has earned him the nickname 'The Baby Shark'.
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Name: Phil Foden
Club: Man. City
Position: midfielder
Nationality: English
Age: 17 (born 28 May 2000)
Preferred foot: left
Height: 171cm
Third #UCL player born this millennium
They say ...
"He's 17 years old, he's a City player, he grew up in the academy, he loves the club, he's a City fan and for us he's a gift."
Josep Guardiola, Man. City manager
"Phil Foden is fantastic. I think he is the future. He has a chance to learn from the big players like David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, İlkay Gündoğan, Fernandinho – all those players. They are going to give him more experience, give him more confidence for the rest of his career. I hope we will see a great player in the future."
Yaya Touré, Man. City midfielder
Story so far ...
A City trainee since boyhood, Foden was the star performer as England reached the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship final, and then won the FIFA U-17 World Cup. Small and skilful, Foden has superb close control and beats men with ease. Fielded in wide positions with England, City see him more as a central midfielder, and handed him his senior debut in the UEFA Champions League game against Feyenoord on 21 November 2017.
Call him ...
'The Stockport Iniesta'
'The Baby Shark'
He says ...
"It's brilliant to be around players like David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne and learn every day from them. It's an honour to be involved with the squad."