Phil Foden has revealed that he has been going through one of the “lowest points” of his career after struggling for form and fitness at Manchester City following the World Cup.
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The 22-year-old has endured a somewhat tricky time since shining for England in Qatar. There were rumours of a rift with manager Pep Guardiola but it has been revealed that Foden has been suffering with a minor injury that he has had to manage in recent weeks.
It has meant Foden has had to settle for limited minutes, with Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez enjoying more game time in his absence. However, the England ace seemed to turn a corner when he shone in the trip to Bournemouth on Saturday, grabbing a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win for Guardiola’s side.
Then, Foden backed up that performance with a Player of the Match display as City booked their place in the FA Cup quarter-final with a 3-0 win over Bristol City. He scored twice on the night to take his tally up to 10 for the campaign, but Foden appeared to cut an emotional figure in his post-match interview.
He said: “I feel much better in my feet, it’s not easy sometimes when you’re playing with discomfort in your feet. I’m feeling 100 per cent fit now and comfortable. Hopefully I can come back into the team and help them as much as I can.”
When asked about whether it has been frustrating, Foden replied: “Yes, definitely. It’s been one of the lowest points of my career, but everyone goes through them and it’s how you react. Discomfort in my feet, not playing as much. I love to play football and when I don’t, I’m a bit frustrated.”
It was a terrific performance from Foden on the night, who looked back to his best, and Guardiola also spoke about the winger in his post-match interview. He praised the midfielder for his mentality to continue to work hard despite not playing regularly, while also admitting he has “high levels”.
Phil Foden celebrates after scoring for Manchester City© Getty Images
Guardiola said: “Phil has always had high, high levels. His impact since he arrived with us has been amazing. What is important is to be calm and grounded. When you work like he does, football will pay off.”
The win over the Robins takes Pep Guardiola’s side another step closer to winning the FA Cup for the second time – as they now await their potential last-eight opponents. Brighton, Fulham and Blackburn also booked their place into the quarter-finals on the night, with Manchester United and Tottenham amongst those to play on Wednesday.
Foden was quizzed about his side’s chances and said: “We haven’t won the FA Cup for a while, it’s something we’ve been speaking about. We want to go far and we want to win it.
“The last two games have been brilliant and it looks like we are taking a step forward. Hopefully we can keep up this form and finish off the season strong.”
