According to Pep Guardiola, Phil Foden has been hailed as the Player of the Season, showcasing his brilliance in a derby showdown against Manchester United.
The Manchester City standout, an England international, has dazzled throughout the 2023-24 season, achieving a personal-best goal tally of 18 and still rising.
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Foden reached that milestone by scoring twice in a 3-1 triumph over United. His first goal in that match, which equalized Marcus Rashford’s impressive opener, was a stunning strike from 20 yards that found the top corner.
Guardiola is confident that Foden deserves to win multiple individual awards and has praised the 23-year-old extensively.
He said: “He is the player of the season, with all the respect for incredible players but no-one has been so decisive for us as him this season.”
Guardiola emphasized Foden’s ascent to “world-class” status, crediting City for nurturing the talents of a locally developed player who has amassed more than 250 appearances for the club.
“Winning games is when you become a world class player. Everyone play good but you have to win games, and he wins games. What can I say? He loves football. He lives to play. There are people who like to play. He loves to play football.
“He will already be a legendary player because in a short age, the games played, the minutes, the goals scored, the titles won and he is from the home and that is why the connection with the fans is unbelievable.”
“He can play middle, right, make moments and cut inside, play in the left, scoring from the left. What can I say? He is the best player in the Premier League right now for the amount of things he does. Unbelievable,” Guardiola told the BBC (via The Daily Mail).
Despite Foden’s emergence as a crucial figure for City, his role in Gareth Southgate’s England squad remains uncertain.
While he frequently operates in a wide attacking position for the Three Lions, Foden has demonstrated his ability to excel in a central No.10 role.
