Steve Nicol has claimed that Phil Foden may have the best first touch out of any player in the world.
During Manchester City’s 3-1 win against Manchester United, the 23-year-old’s first touch was simply magnificent at times.
Most notably for his second goal of the day as the way Phil Foden took the pass Julian Alvarez played to him before scoring the winner was another example of his one-of-a-kind technical brilliance.
Steve Nicol says Phil Foden may have the best first touch in the world
On several occasions, Foden was passed the ball in tight areas where if he lost possession, United would spring a counter-attack and City would be in trouble.
But as John Stones claimed, his countryman has the ability to receive the ball flawlessly in such tight areas and when he did on Sunday, he either broke the lines, played an intelligent pass or simply protected the ball and won a foul, as Victor Lindelof discovered when he was touch-tight on him.
After the Manchester Derby, Steve Nicol claimed that Phil Foden could have the best first touch in the entirety of world football.
“I don’t think there’s anybody else in the Premier League, maybe even outside of the Premier League, who regardless of where you give him the ball, whether you give him it down his throat, his neck, hit him in the backside with it, he finds a way of instantly putting that ball in the right place so that he can then make his pass or make his shot or whatever it is.”
“I mean, his touch is just frightening”, he said [via ESPN UK].
Phil Foden must have been helped by playing with Riyad Mahrez
Steve Nicol has a point about Phil Foden, who is up there in terms of how perfect his first touch is alongside any player in Europe, alongside the likes of Bernardo Silva and Pedri to name a few.
While the midfield maestro has always had a delightful first touch, he may have improved it over time by watching how Riyad Mahrez receives the ball over the years.
The Al-Ahli winger’s first touch is arguably one of the best the game has ever seen and as a result, it would make complete sense if Phil Foden wished to emulate the silky wide forward in this regard, who could genuinely receive the ball in any situation when he was at City.
