BERNARDO SILVA BELIEVES Manchester City prodigy Phil Foden will rank among the world’s best midfielders within two years.
The homegrown 19-year-old has lived with big expectations since breaking into City’s first-team setup in the title-winning 2017-18 season.
Pep Guardiola used him 13 times in the Premier League last term and, in July, went so far as to describe Foden as the “most talented player” he has ever seen, ahead of Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.
Likewise, Portugal international Silva is “very excited” about the youngster’s potential and expects him to make a rapid rise to the top of the game, so long as the pressure on his shoulders is carefully managed.
“I just think he’s six years younger than me, but he’s a huge, huge talent,” Silva told the BBC.
“If he keeps working as hard as he does every day, because he does work very hard, and if his mentality is good — and he has that — [then in] one, two years he will be one of the best midfielders in the world.
“To go from the second team of Manchester City to the first one, it is a huge step.
Me, I was from the second team at Benfica, to Monaco, then always growing, and then Manchester City.
“I don’t know what kind of pressure he has, but he enjoys playing football so much and he loves what he does.”
Foden, who is yet to win a senior England cap, made a 10-minute cameo off the bench in City’s season-opening 5-0 win at West Ham, the 19th Premier League appearance of his career.
Silva added: “He will be successful because when you have a good mentality like he has and when you are good, because he’s very good, it’s a matter of time.
Sometimes you need six more months, sometimes you need one more year, but sooner or later he will be one of the best.”
Next up for City is a huge home fixture against Tottenham, who also picked up a win in their opening fixture, beating newly promoted Aston Villa 3-1.
A trip to Bournemouth follows for Guardiola’s side eight days later and Foden will be hopeful he can play a part in both matches as he continues his development.
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