Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has admitted that a “smile” has returned to his football—the secret to the 25-year-old’s resurgent form this season.
Foden completed a clean sweep of English football’s three biggest individual accolades in 2023–24—FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season—in recognition of performances that produced 40 goals and assists across all competitions.
But, off the back of that, he endured a surprisingly poor Euro 2024 with England, despite the Three Lions making the final. Foden went from having his best season to arguably his worst in 2024–25, later explaining he was dealing with a “lot of things going on off the pitch mentally”. An ankle ligament injury suffered towards the end of 2023–24 was also a factor.
Foden has found his feet again in the early stages of 2025–26 and this week’s Champions League brace in City’s 4–1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund felt like a significant moment.
Foden: ‘I’m Loving it’
“I’m loving it,” Foden remarked to TNT Sports post-match. “I just need to play with a smile on my face, which I’m doing. Last year was tough, not just for myself but for everyone. There is a new togetherness this season and you can tell.
“You learn a lot from it when you go through a tough patch. We have great captains in our team and we speak about how we can get back on track. And we’ve added great players to the squad as well and that’s brought real hunger and togetherness.
“It’s just about trying to be the team we used to be and this season we are seeing glimpses of that.”
Pep Guardiola declared to reporters: “Phil is back!”
The City boss lamented that Foden’s best form was “missed” last season. “I think he’s going to help us a lot. As long as Phil is happy and loved and has joy, you don't have to say much. He’s a special player. But we need his goals and hopefully this is the first step to do it.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Phil Foden Reveals Secret Behind His Return to Form.
