Phil Foden has now revealed that he prefers to play centrally at Manchester City – rather than on the wing.
The 23-year-old shared his thoughts in the matchday programme as Manchester City hammered Bournemouth by a 6-1 scoreline.
So, what did Phil Foden say? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the Manchester City No.47 admitted that he does still enjoy playing on the wing, but prefers to operate in the middle.
Foden said: “It’s a position I really look forward to playing and I think it brings the best out of me. I prefer it in the middle. I feel like I am always involved in the game and that is where I want to be. That is where I enjoy playing.
“My progression will hopefully become natural in that position – I enjoy it in there and I also enjoy it on the wing, so wherever the manager decides to play me I’m more than happy to do a job.”
Foden has been used centrally on 115 occasions by Pep Guardiola since breaking into the first-team back in 2017.
The England international has also made 56 appearances on the wing, so at least the Spaniard has deployed the City Football Academy graduate in his favoured position more often than not.
Manchester City No.47 Phil Foden told he cannot play centrally
Foden’s comments come just weeks after Gareth Southgate suggested he cannot play in the middle.
The 53-year-old is quoted by the Guardian as saying: “He doesn’t (play centrally) for his club. Presumably there is a reason for that. It depends on the level of the game. In the middle of the park, everyone wants to talk about the with the ball but there is a lot of detail without the ball. You have to be spot on with pressing angles, your responsibilities and if you don’t, you don’t get the flow of the game.
“You’d have to speak to Pep – who is the best coach in the world – who plays him from wide.”
Sources close to Guardiola recently told The Athletic that there are some doubts over Foden, who is said to “switch off when pressing and often struggles to track his runners” – that may be a view shared by Southgate.
Whatever you think of that comment, there is no doubt that Foden is improving every season for Manchester City, and at the age of just 23, he has plenty of time to become a regular in the middle.
