‘Player of the Season’ Phil Foden Has The Career Man Utd Outcast Sancho Should Have Had

The City midfielder, Phil Foden is being heralded as the Premier League’s top player, while his former academy teammate, Jadon Sancho is struggling while back on loan at Dortmund.

Many people took notice when Pep Guardiola declared in 2019 during a press conference in Japan that Phil Foden was the most gifted player he had ever seen. At the age of 19, Foden had only made three Premier League starts. It seemed strange to make such a comment, especially considering the superstars Guardiola had worked with, such as Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Kevin De Bruyne, not to mention how much of a load it would be for the teenager. But suddenly everything makes sense.

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Guardiola has been validated on multiple occasions. Following his outrageously dominant performance in the Manchester derby, which saw Manchester City overcome Manchester United, Foden has reached a new height of excellence. His performance was highlighted by two incredible goals. Guardiola spearheaded the compliments and repeated remarks he made in 2019 when he compared Foden’s influence on pivotal moments to that of Messi, who won the coach countless crucial games during his tenure at Barcelona.

“The good players can play well but you have to win games, and I knew the greatest ever player like Messi,” Guardiola told TV2. “He can win games, and I don’t want to compare because Phil is not the level from Leo, but he is winning games.” In another interview, Guardiola claimed Foden was “the best player in the Premier League right now”. It is hard to disagree with his assessment.

It was hard to ignore the thought of Jadon Sancho, Foden’s former teammate from the City academy, as he revelled in his role as the hometown hero who called the derby for his native club. Both players were among the top players in City’s 2016 class, but Sancho’s career is still stagnating, while Foden is being considered as a possible 2024 Ballon d’Or contender and is sure to have a fantastic summer with England.