A Manchester City midfielder is turning into a leader right before our eyes | OneFootball

Across the past four games that Manchester City have played, there have been signs that Phil Foden is returning to his best. The England international has been one of Manchester City’s best players in their matches against Manchester United, Napoli, Arsenal and Huddersfield Town. That isn’t a major surprise. Foden’s talent is well-documented. He is one of the best players in the Premier League and Europe when he is at his best. But another side of Foden’s game is slowly emerging. The England international is becoming a leader in Pep Guardiola’s squad. Foden seems close to taking the next step as a player.

Phil Foden is seemingly maturing as a player for Manchester City.

Watching Phil Foden play recently, it is clear to see that a difficult 24/25 season is behind him. There is a swagger and confidence to Foden’s play when he is at his best. That has been clear since he broke into Pep Guardiola’s squad as a seventeen-year-old. From that point onwards, Foden has established himself as a key player for Manchester City. Last season, Foden hit the first roadblock of his career. Injuries and other issues affected Foden’s performance. But he looks to have put that all behind him. Foden has been superb in Manchester City’s past four matches. He is also beginning to show clear signs that he is becoming a leader amongst Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Watching Foden on the pitch, he sets the tone for his team to follow through with his play and actions without the ball. Over Manchester City’s past four matches, he has been seen directing his teammates about where to be, whether that is in possession or out of possession. It has been striking to see Foden take this step. Manchester City have lost leaders such as Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, to name two, recently. Players need to fill that leadership void. Foden seems to be one player who has stepped up in this regard. That is a credit to Foden.

Foden is also helping Manchester City’s young players feel welcome in the City first team.

Pep Guardiola has introduced a host of academy starlets to his squad this season. Players such as Divine Mukasa, Stephen Mfuni, Jaden and Reigan Heskey immediately come to mind. The jump from Manchester City’s youth system to the first team would be a daunting one. Phil Foden has been helping City’s young players feel welcome with their peers. Divine Mukasa has recently spoken on Foden’s influence. In an interview published by Tyrone Marshall in the Manchester Evening News,  Mukasa highlighted how much Foden has helped him. Speaking on Foden’s influence, Mukasa said: “He helps me a lot. It’s just been a pleasure to play with him. He’s just really encouraging. Any information, even small things like the warm-up and stuff like that, where I may not know what to do, he just helps me out and is really encouraging as well.”

Phil Foden is becoming a leader at Manchester City before our eyes. His talent has made him one of the best players in the Premier League when he is fit. If his leadership continues to develop that can take him to another level entirely. Foden’s leadership has stood out in Manchester City’s past four matches. If that can continue to grow he’ll be even more important to Pep Guardiola’s side.