PHIL FODEN HAS committed his future to boyhood club Manchester City with a new four-year deal that includes an option for a further 12 months.
The new contract, broadly agreed back in May before Pep Guardiola’s departure was announced, represents a significant show of faith from City in their academy graduate, who has struggled for form and fitness since he was named player of the year during the 2023-24 Premier League title-winning campaign.
“Committing my future to City means everything to me,” Foden said. “Playing for this club is all I’ve ever wanted to do and it’s always an honour to wear the shirt.
“It’s not lost on me that I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a historic period with so many titles won, but we’re always looking to the future and trying to win more..”
Foden’s status as the poster-boy for City’s academy has long been established.
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Having joined the club at the age of nine, he has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five League Cups since breaking into the first team – making him the most decorated player in the club’s history alongside the recently departed Bernardo Silva and John Stones.
But a year ago, after struggling to replicate his form of previous campaigns, the 26-year-old opened up on his battles off the pitch with his mental health.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Midway through last season he appeared to be back on track. Foden scored two excellent goals in a 4-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund in November, then scored six goals in a run of four Premier League matches in December.
But in January he was subbed off during a Manchester derby defeat in which he looked off the pace, and he never seemed to find his groove again for the rest of the campaign.
Foden finished the season having scored 10 goals in 50 appearances, but he started only seven of City’s last 26 games of the campaign and missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup.
In all, Foden has made 369 appearances scored 110 goals since graduating from the academy nine years ago.
Foden said he was looking forward to working with new manager Enzo Maresca, who was part of Guardiola’s coaching staff during the treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, and added that he believes the Italian’s style of play suits him.
“So excited,” Foden said. “Obviously, I’ve had Enzo before. When we had him in the Treble season, he was brilliant.
“His attention to detail, the small things that make a big difference, and even training with him at the moment, you can tell how good of a coach he is. I’m really excited to play under him and see where it goes…
“You can tell by the first few sessions that I’ve done with him, the way he likes to play out from the back and play a lot of possession-based, it suits my game really well. I’m looking forward to that and hopefully it can help my game go to the next stage.”
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Phil Foden signs new four-year contract at Manchester City
PHIL FODEN HAS committed his future to boyhood club Manchester City with a new four-year deal that includes an option for a further 12 months.
The new contract, broadly agreed back in May before Pep Guardiola’s departure was announced, represents a significant show of faith from City in their academy graduate, who has struggled for form and fitness since he was named player of the year during the 2023-24 Premier League title-winning campaign.
“Committing my future to City means everything to me,” Foden said. “Playing for this club is all I’ve ever wanted to do and it’s always an honour to wear the shirt.
“It’s not lost on me that I’ve been lucky enough to be part of a historic period with so many titles won, but we’re always looking to the future and trying to win more..”
Foden’s status as the poster-boy for City’s academy has long been established.
Having joined the club at the age of nine, he has won six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups and five League Cups since breaking into the first team – making him the most decorated player in the club’s history alongside the recently departed Bernardo Silva and John Stones.
But a year ago, after struggling to replicate his form of previous campaigns, the 26-year-old opened up on his battles off the pitch with his mental health.
Midway through last season he appeared to be back on track. Foden scored two excellent goals in a 4-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund in November, then scored six goals in a run of four Premier League matches in December.
But in January he was subbed off during a Manchester derby defeat in which he looked off the pace, and he never seemed to find his groove again for the rest of the campaign.
Foden finished the season having scored 10 goals in 50 appearances, but he started only seven of City’s last 26 games of the campaign and missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup.
In all, Foden has made 369 appearances scored 110 goals since graduating from the academy nine years ago.
Foden said he was looking forward to working with new manager Enzo Maresca, who was part of Guardiola’s coaching staff during the treble-winning campaign in 2022-23, and added that he believes the Italian’s style of play suits him.
“So excited,” Foden said. “Obviously, I’ve had Enzo before. When we had him in the Treble season, he was brilliant.
“His attention to detail, the small things that make a big difference, and even training with him at the moment, you can tell how good of a coach he is. I’m really excited to play under him and see where it goes…
“You can tell by the first few sessions that I’ve done with him, the way he likes to play out from the back and play a lot of possession-based, it suits my game really well. I’m looking forward to that and hopefully it can help my game go to the next stage.”
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