Phil Foden issues “very exciting” assessment of Enzo Maresca as Manchester City manager | OneFootball

Enzo Maresca has attracted a glowing report from Phil Foden as the England midfielder looks ahead to the future following his contract extension until the summer of 2030.

The 26-year-old, whose last contract was due to expire in the summer of 2027, has committed to a new four-year contract proposed to him by Manchester City, despite a difficult last two seasons in terms of consistency and performance levels.

That new agreement, announced by Manchester City on Wednesday afternoon, will see Foden complete 20 years at the City Football Academy and Etihad Stadium, with the deal also featuring the option of a further 12 months.

Foden’s new deal also comes at a time of immense transition at the club, as Enzo Maresca embarks on his first pre-season as City’s new manager, in an opening week that has given the Stockport-born playmaker plenty of encouragement.

Foden glows with excitement over Maresca era

Speaking to ManCity.com as part of his reaction to a new long-term contract, Foden said of the future under Enzo Maresca, “So excited! I’ve had Enzo before in the Treble season, he was brilliant – his attention to detail, small things that make a big difference.

“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.”

The poster boy of Manchester City’s Academy continued, “He’s so nice, down to earth, someone you can go to and talk about anything, he would help.

“Even if you want to work on things, he’ll do one-on-one sessions after training – that’s something he did with me when he was [last] here, small finishing drills, things like that.

“He really grew my game, so I’m looking forward to starting a new season with him. We know each other really well.”

Foden concluded, “Very exciting! He likes to play out from the back and play a lot of possession, it suits my game really well. I’m looking forward to that and hopefully he can help my game go to the next stage.”

The first chances for Foden to impress

Phil Foden is expected to play a crucial role in Enzo Maresca’s tactical output, and his first opportunities to star under the Italian manager will come in early August during the pre-season tour of Asia.

Having missed out on Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad over the summer, Foden has had an extended period of time to rest and recover following a difficult couple of seasons, returning to work this week alongside others that were not involved in international action.

Manchester City are due to travel to the Far-East next week, with a trio of friendly warm-up matches lined up against Italian champions Inter, a K-League All Stars XI, and Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

Foden and City’s first competitive matches will include the FA Community Shield against Premier League champions Arsenal in South Wales, and their English top-flight opener against Marco Rose’s Bournemouth on Sunday 23 August at the Etihad Stadium.