Micah Richards has claimed that Phil Foden now has the best opportunity to prove himself as a top player at Manchester City.
The 23-year-old played the majority of his games last season playing in wide roles rather than in his natural central or attacking midfield positions.
Having completed the full 90 minutes in both of City’s Premier League games this season, Foden has found himself being the topic of conversation with one pundit and former City player, who has now laid down the gauntlet for him.
Richards says Foden can get closer to elite level this season
Speaking in a recent edition of The Rest Is Football alongside Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer, Richards had this to say about Foden and what this season could hold for him.
He said: “I think someone like Foden now, where we’ve been saying he’s a superstar for so many years.
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“But he’s at Man City where he’s sort of had to play out of position, and now with [Kevin] De Bruyne out, with [Riyad] Mahrez gone, it’s the time for him to show everyone that he’s at, I wouldn’t say elite level, but on the way up to that elite level.”
Given how prominent he’s been in the team so far this season, this showcases just how important he is for Pep Guardiola.
Looking back on the 1-0 win over Newcastle United last weekend, not only did Foden provide the assist for Julian Alvarez’s winning goal, he showed how much of an impact he can have in an attacking sense from the middle of the pitch.
Specifically, he made more key passes (7) than any other City player, earning himself an impressive overall match rating of 8.9/10 from SofaScore, making him the highest-rated player on the day.
With that in mind, if the Englishman can continue delivering performances in this fashion on a consistent basis, he’ll do what Richards has said and show people just how much quality he has.