Phil Foden: One of their own

As Phil Foden zipped up his coat and made his way to the bench, applause broke out from the supporters in the lower section of the Colin Bell Stand. Away towards the South Stand, a few cries of “he’s one of our own” were briefly heard.

It was a bitingly cold December afternoon. Manchester City were seconds away from sealing a 3-1 win over Everton – a result which would see them displace Liverpool at the Premier League summit.

Foden, despite the acknowledgement from the crowd, had played no part.

For the best part of ten minutes he had stood beside Pep Guardiola on the edge of the Etihad technical area, waiting to be introduced as a late substitute. The moment didn’t arrive. An unusually long passage of play was eventually interrupted by an Everton corner. Sensing this was no time to send on a 5’7″ teenager, Guardiola held off, reluctantly ordering him back to the bench soon after.

This incident, insignificant though it may have seemed at the time, was a microcosm of the last year of Foden’s career. He is close – agonisingly so – to establishing himself as a regular at City and there is an eagerness from supporters to see it happen soon. Patience is required – from Foden and fans alike.

“The level of support he has from the fans is extraordinary,” Ian Cheeseman, a lifelong City supporter and former BBC reporter, tells JOE. “When he made his first appearance, the cheers for him coming on were louder than they’ve been for any City debutant in a long, long time.

“There’s a hell of a lot of goodwill for him out there.”

At the heart of the affection City fans hold for Foden is the fact he is, as their chant makes clear, one of their own – a local lad, born into a family of Blues a short distance away from the Etihad Campus in Stockport.

“As Mancunian City fans, nothing would give us greater pleasure than for him to have 15 years of success here,” Cheeseman explains.

Foden’s rise to the periphery of Guardiola’s team has been a long time coming. Even at the age of six there were signs he was destined for big things.

He had already appeared on City’s radar while an infant at Bridge Hall Primary School. Too young to enrol with the Premier League club’s academy at this point, he instead registered with local junior side Reddish Vulcans. Attending his first training session at Peel Moat High School and Leisure Centre, Foden swiftly made an impression.

“You could tell straight away that he was at a different level to every other player,” Steve Williams, Foden’s first coach, tells JOE. “It’s difficult to assess exactly how good they are at that age. Some lads have only just learned to kick a ball and have no idea. But Phil was phenomenal.

“I had some good players in that age group – some very good players – but Phil stood out because he had everything. His touch was outstanding, his balance was exceptional. He could pass, shoot, dribble. Everything.”

Foden was part of Williams’ team at Vulcans for the best part of two years before leaving for City. In that time, they won everything – a goal scored in the Broadheath Tournament at Altrincham proving to be a particular highlight. Gaining possession in his own half, he slalomed his way past all six outfield opponents before finishing by scooping the ball over the goalkeeper.

“The goal itself was memorable,” Williams says. “But what’s stayed with me is the gasp from all the parents on the sidelines at what they’d just seen.”

Williams coached for 14 years, leaving Vulcans when the team Foden had been part of eventually broke up years later. While he stresses he was fortunate to have worked with many talented players in his time, Foden was the only one he truly believed had the attributes to make it as a professional. There was, however, one reservation.

“I didn’t doubt his ability or his character, because he was always a genuinely lovely, humble lad – shy, if anything. My only doubts were if he had enough about him physically, because he was quite small.

“Fortunately, I think football – or the way people viewed football – changed around that time. Barcelona were at their best around then. Lionel Messi was coming through and people realised size doesn’t matter that much when compared to technique.

“At that age, Messi was the player you’d liken him to. The ball would stick to his feet and he’d dribble past everyone for fun. He’s got that ability, as he showed with England Under-21s against France in the summer. He can beat a man with a drop of a shoulder and an injection of pace.”