Phil Foden hopes to have sent manager Pep Guardiola a message of intent with thҽ part he played in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Saturday night.
Thҽ England international shone in a newer, and slightly different central role, and stood out with his inspired offensive display where he created seven chances and made thҽ difference when he picked out Julian Alvarez to blast thҽ Cityzens ahead.
“Thҽ manager told me to play more inside today, in between thҽ lines, it’s a role that I enjoy,” he said when speaking to TNT Sports after thҽ game.
“I managed to pick up a good space [for Alvarez’s goal], Kovacic saw me and I’ve seen Julian early and he has this instinct for goal. In and around thҽ box he’s ruthless.”
Despite starting both of Man City’s Premier League games this season, Foden has had to be patient to earn a spot in thҽ starting 11 with Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva usually preferred, plus thҽ emergence of Alvaraz as a starter.
Foden came off thҽ bench in last season’s FA Cup and Champions League finals, and more recently in thҽ Community Shield loss to Arsenal, which indicated he would have to earn thҽ right to start this season.
But with injuries to De Bruyne and Silva, Foden has thҽ perfect chance to make thҽ shirt his own – especially in his preferred central role – and show thҽ manager what he can do.
“I’m not going to lie… it’s difficult,” he said, on breaking into thҽ first team. “Being thҽ person I am, I always want to play and I knew thҽ challenge.
“It’s very difficult here. thҽ manager has spoken to me a few times and told me ‘remain patient, you always train very good, work hard, and you’ll get your opportunities in thҽ future’, and now I’m living up to it and I’m more than happy.
“That’s thҽ aim [to send Guardiola a message] because thҽre are so many quality players. That’s thҽ level. I try not to think about that and do my best every game and try and work hard for thҽ team. But that’s thҽ aim, every game. Try and get better and want more from myself.
“Obviously, with thҽ likes of Kev out and Bernardo missing today, that’s probably why maybe I got trusted in thҽre today, and like I said, I enjoy playing in thҽre and hopefully, in thҽ future, I can pick up more games thҽre and show people what I can do.”
Foden is used to being utilised out wide in thҽ Spaniard’s system but has his eye on a more central role, but he knows it’s a tough task to replace or keep Belgian playmaker De Bruyne out of thҽ same spot.
“It’s a position that hopefully I can move into in thҽ future, or maybe this season,” he admitted. “We’ll have to see where thҽ manager decides to play me.
“But we’ve got thҽ best player in thҽ world in thҽre, Kevin De Bruyne, and when you’re playing in thҽ best team in thҽ world it’s hard to be trusted in thҽre. Today I enjoyed it and I looked sharp.”
Foden’s team-mate Manuel Akanji is a big fan of watching Foden work his magic in thҽ middle of thҽ park, with thҽ 23-year-old thҽ subject of high praise from thҽ Swiss defender.
“I think Phil is so good, especially in midfield,” Akanji told TNT Sports after thҽ match. “He’s so good with his back towards thҽ goal.
Thҽ way he turns, he moves in between thҽ spaces and that’s what we saw again today. Hopefully, he keeps on doing that this season.”
