"When he was a teenager, everybody knew how good he was. He had been probably the key player shortly after turning 17 as England won the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, and there had been a clamour for him to play for Manchester City long before Pep Guardiola began to start him regularly in 2020-21. For four seasons he was one of the best players in the league and then, suddenly, there was nothing at least by the exceptionally high standards he had set."
"Foden had not had a good Euros in 2024. He has never really produced his best for England, a function perhaps of him playing for a club with such a specific style of play. Take him out of that regimented environment where he knew exactly what runs to make, exactly where his teammates would be moving, and he found it hard to adapt."
"He suffered a couple of bouts of illness and an ankle injury, and although that did disrupt his season, there was no long-term ailment. He started 20 Premier League games, came off the bench on eight occasions, scored seven goals and only very rarely looked like himself. For all the new signings at City this year, one of Guardiola's more important jobs as he looks to restore his side to greatness is to get Foden back to his best."
Phil Foden rose rapidly as a youth star, playing a central role in England's Under-17 World Cup win and breaking into Manchester City's first team under Pep Guardiola. He delivered four outstanding seasons in the Premier League before experiencing a marked drop in form. Foden struggled at Euro 2024 and has rarely reproduced his club best outside City's regimented tactical system. Illness and an ankle injury disrupted his season but caused no lasting ailment. He made 20 league starts, eight substitute appearances and scored seven goals. Guardiola faces a key task in restoring Foden to peak performance.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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