Jermaine Beckford has praised Phil Foden for the way he has become a regular player for Manchester City.
The Englishman recently showed how vital he can be for Pep Guardiola’s side as he scored the first goal in City’s 3-1 win over Everton in midweek.
Having featured in every Premier League game this season prior to the Manchester club’s home clash against Sheffield United, the 23-year-old has found himself on the end of some significant praise from one pundit and former top-flight player.
Beckford hails Foden evolution
Speaking in a recent edition of Team Talks by Premier League Productions (via Optus Sport), Beckford had this to say about Foden.
He said: “His ascent into this Manchester City team as a regular has been brilliant.
“Now initially, he was on the bench, he wasn’t really getting a sniff, he had David Silva in front of him so he couldn’t really force his way through but he bided his time, he showed a little bit of patience, trust in the manager that he was working with some of the best players in the world, training with some of the best coaches in the world and it’s benefitted him immensely.
“You can see the confidence that he plays with, he’s not afraid to try something different, try something new. He’s not afraid to shoot from quite far out, he’s not afraid to get himself stuck in, he’s got the energy, the work ethic, he’s got the drive, something that Manchester City don’t necessarily have when they bring players in.
“They’ve got a player in him who knows the city of Manchester, he’s born and bred, born and raised and that is priceless in itself.”
Since making his senior debut for the club back in November 2017, Foden has gone on to make 245 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions, scoring 69 goals and supplying 47 assists along the way.
With Kyle Walker and Julian Alvarez being the only outfield players to rack up more minutes in the league this season than Foden, this gives a clear view of how important the midfielder is for Guardiola and the team.
The England international has repaid the faith put in him by delivering strong performances across the campaign, which has earned him a strong season rating of 7.25/10 from WhoScored, making him the joint-fourth-highest-rated player in the squad.
This makes it understandable why Beckford has been so complimentary about him and why he thinks Foden is so valuable for the club.
