Pep Guardiola has backed Phil Foden to become a Manchester City great and said the forward can help drive England to become European champions this summer, provided Gareth Southgate’s team believe they can win the tournament.
On Friday Foden was announced as the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, recognition of a career-best season in which he has scored 24 goals for City and made 10 assists. The 23-year-old has claimed five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one Champions League, one Uefa Super Cup and one Fifa Club World Cup. Guardiola was asked whether Foden could become City’s greatest-ever player.
“I don’t know – this club has a long, long history,” the manager said. “So you can’t forget what happened with the players who played at Maine Road, like everyone knows. If he continues his career until the end here and at [the same] level he can be one of the best, for sure.”
England are among the favourites for Euro 2024 in Germany and Guardiola was asked to assess the attack, of which Foden is a part.
“Really good,” he said. “But it’s not the talent of the strikers, it’s the whole package, and Gareth knows perfectly what he has to do. So I have the feeling, everyone has, that the England national team [in] the last World Cup and European championships make steps.
“I see the reaction when they play European cups or World Cups – people go crazy in the streets, I love it. They go crazy for the national team; that proves how proud they are. As a football player that is the best.”
If England believe in their strengths, Guardiola is sure they will win the tournament, comparing this to City’s Champions League triumph last season.
He said: “They are on the verge, they are really close; lost a final, got to a semi-final. When you arrive at these stages every two years, it’s going to happen. It’s quite similar to us: we were close and in the end we lifted it. Just believe it. If they believe it they can do it.”
City host Wolves on Saturday knowing if they win their last four games a record fourth consecutive title will be claimed. Guardiola said that even if they lose all four he would still love his players.
“We can lose all four games and that means I don’t trust my players? It’s impossible. I see them, I saw them, I still feel what they are doing. There’s no chance [of not trusting them]. It’s not about winning or losing that will change my opinion about this season in terms of what they have done. I love them so much.”
