Phil Foden said something before a ball was kicked in 2023/24 – and what he said has now proven to be pretty much spot on.
The Manchester City star has just enjoyed a wonderful campaign, which saw him score 27 goals and make 12 assists across all competitions.
Foden thrived operating mostly as a number 10, and he really stepped up in the absence of key players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
But he continued to shine even when those superstars returned, and the plaudits have been plentiful throughout the campaign. Premier League legend Alan Shearer recently said that Foden had been simply ‘unplayable’ at times.
Foden has sat down with the club to conduct a new interview – and the club’s man-of-the-moment shared something he said right at the start of the season which certainly looks very true now…
Man City star Phil Foden backed himself to be one of the Premier League’s best players in 23/24
Foden has always had strong self-belief.
He has had to be patient at times, especially in those early years when he was first breaking through into the first-team
But now, Foden is very much a superstar, and can be placed in the same category as the likes of De Bruyne, Haaland and Rodri.
He had a bit of a frustrating term in 2022/23. Although City won the Treble, Foden had some injury problems and did lack rhythm and form at times.
So he was determined to do something about that going into 2023/24. And he was confident he would. He told mancity.com: “I’m delighted, it means everything. I think I set out, before the season, I think I said in an early interview that I think I could be one of the best players in the Premier League this year.
“To win these awards now backs that up. I’m really happy with that outcome.”
Brilliant mentality from Foden
It’s interesting to hear Foden come back to what he said before the 2023/24 season had even started.
Clearly, he was looking to improve from last season and he did that in a huge way, often stepping up to be City’s best player in games in 2023/24.
It just shows the mentality he has. He knew he had the potential to be one of the best players in the league, and he then had the confidence to go and make it happen.
And he didn’t just become ‘one of’ the best players. Arguably, his haul of individual trophies now suggests him as being the outright best in the division – and hopefully, he can soon round things off with the PFA award too.