‘I hope when he’s 26, 27’ – Pep Guardiola reveals his dreams for Phil Foden’s career

Pep Guardiola has revealed his desires for Manchester City to have an ‘even better player’ in Phil Foden in the coming years and future career for the 23-year-old.

The Stockport-born playmaker is having arguably his breakthrough campaign when it comes to goalscoring, registering a total of 28 goal contribution across all competitions and winning matches almost single-handily.

Foden most recently secured Manchester City a memorable victory in the 192nd Manchester derby, scoring a second-half brace to cancel out Marcus Rashford’s first-half opener and opening the door for Erling Haaland to round-off the scoring.

But while Foden is striking exceptional heights this season, his manager – who first integrated him into the first-team set-up at Manchester City – believes he can still improve and develop his game even further.

Speaking during a recent exclusive interview with TNT Sports, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was quizzed on exactly what makes Phil Foden a ‘world class talent’ for the reigning Premier League champions.

“We see it every day, every week. It’s competing really well, being decisive in many moments, and we’re delighted,” Guardiola explained. “We can’t forget he’s so young, 23, and he’s won a lot of titles already, a lot of games have been played.

“His consistency in terms of no injuries and recovery, he’s an important player for us. His behaviour is the same, his love for football, and he’s a better player because he’s played a lot of games.”

Guardiola continued by revealing his dreams for Foden in the future, “I hope when he’s 26, 27, playing for Manchester City he will be an even better player. This is what we’re looking for for him.”

Despite being just 23-years-old, Foden has already amassed a tally of appearances approaching the 300 mark, scoring 78 goals across all competitions and winning a staggering 16 trophies in eight seasons for the first-team squad.

Foden’s performances for Manchester City this season will likely open the door for him to start for Gareth Southgate’s England squad during the upcoming European Championships, however whether he starts in a central role remains to be seen given competition for a place.