Phil Foden

Phil Foden is an English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City.

The talented 22-year-old was born in Stockport in 2000 and came through the youth set-up at Manchester City in his early years.

A boyhood supporter of Manchester City, Foden soon progressed through the ranks at the club and made his competitive first-team debut in November 2017 under Pep Guardiola.

He scored his first goal for the Manchester City first team in September 2018 in a victory over Oxford United in the League Cup.

Foden went on to establish himself as a regular fixture in the Manchester City team in the seasons that followed.

He represented England at various youth levels before making his competitive debut for the Three Lions in September 2020 under manager Gareth Southgate.

So, what do we know about Foden’s journey to becoming the talented footballer he is today? This is his story.

Early Life, Parents And Upbringing

Phil Foden (full name: Philip Walter Foden) was born on 28 May 2000 in Stockport, England.

Foden grew up as a boyhood Manchester City supporter along with his mother, but his brother and father are Manchester United fans.

After impressing on his way through the club’s youth set-up, Foden was first included in a first-team squad at Manchester City by Pep Guardiola in December 2016, when he was named on the team-sheet for a Champions League group stage match with Celtic.

He ended up being an unused substitute that night, but his first taste of first-team action for City was to follow in the coming months.

Despite not playing against Celtic, he still became the third youngest player in Manchester City’s history to be named in a matchday squad – behind Glyn Pardoe and Paul Simpson.

Manchester City

Foden enjoyed something of a breakthrough season in the 2017-18 campaign, and he made his first-ever appearance for the first team at Manchester City in a pre-season friendly clash against Manchester United in the United States.

Phil Foden (Photo: Man City / YouTube / Screengrab)

Manchester City boss Guardiola was full of praise for Foden for his performance against Manchester United, saying at the time: “It’s a long time since I saw something like this. His performance was another level.”

Aged 17 years and 177 days, the appearance made him the fourth-youngest English player to make play in the Champions League.

Foden went on to make a total of 10 appearances in all competitions in the first team in the 2017-18 campaign, as City won the Premier League title.

“Last season we showed him he was special and that is why we decided not to buy any attacking players in that position, because we have Phil,” said City boss Guardiola after the game.

“He belongs in our team and he will have minutes. He’s physically very strong. He grows up a lot, especially in the last year because he’s a teenager and he needs to grow. He senses the rhythm we play and the pace we play and that is why he is ready to play with us home and away.”

Foden went on to establish himself as more of a regular fixture in the first team at The Etihad in the seasons that followed, making 13 league appearances in City’s Premier League title-winning campaign in 2018-19.

He then made 28 appearances in the Premier League in the 2020-21 campaign, scoring nine goals in the top flight to help Manchester City to win the title once again.

International Career

Foden represented England at various youth levels and earned praise for his performances for the Three Lions from an early age.

Phil Foden (Photo: ITV Sport / YouTube / Screengrab)

He was named as the player of the tournament at the 2017 Fifa Under-17 World Cup after he scored twice in the final to help England to win the competition. Foden was later voted as the BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year in 2017.

He scored his first and second senior goals for the Three Lions on 18 November 2020, in a 4-0 home win over Iceland at Wembley in the Uefa Nations League. He also notched up an assist for Declan Rice to net the opener.

Salary, Contract And Wages

In September 2020, British newspaper The Sun reported that Manchester City were preparing to hand Foden a new contract worth around £150,000 per week in wages.

The same article stated that Foden was earning around £30,000 per week at Manchester City at the time.

In October 2021, The Mirror reported that Foden was close to signing a new six-year contract worth £150,000 per week.

Life Away From The Pitch

Foden is a lifelong Manchester City supporter.

At the time of writing, he is in a long-term relationship with girlfriend Rebecca Cooke. The couple have two children together.

Phil Foden (Photo: ITV Sport / YouTube / Screengrab)

What Have Others Said?

Pep Guardiola, speaking about Foden after he made his debut for Manchester City in a pre-season friendly in July 2017: “I don’t have words – I would like to have the right words to describe what I saw. You (the media, fans) are the lucky guys who saw the first game, for the first team for Manchester City, of this guy. It’s a long time since I saw something like this. His performance was another level. 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. He will stay with us training with us in the pre-season and maybe he’ll stay with us in season because he’s special.”

Former Manchester United and England star Gary Neville, speaking about Foden in May 2021: “I feel warm towards Foden in a sense of he’s a local kid and because of my upbringing at United, I do feel really passionate about local lads doing well and Greater Manchester producing great football players. This is one incredible talent and it’s gone beyond talking about his potential talent – he’s a performer. In the big games, this lad steps up, he’s someone to contend with.”

Former England and Tottenham forward Gary Lineker, speaking about Foden in December 2021: “He is going to be great, isn’t he? I mean, what a footballer. I think you could put him in that Liverpool team, and he could equally play for a [Jurgen] Klopp-kind because he has got that energy.”