Phil Foden

Philip Walter Foden is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the England national team. A product of Manchester City's youth academy, he achieved his breakthrough into professional football in 2017 after winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball award with England's Under-17 team. He made his senior debut for Manchester City later that year and was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in December 2017. Over his tenure with the club, he has made over 300 appearances and won 19 honours.

Foden was born on 28 May 2000 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, to Claire Foden, and grew up supporting Manchester City. He joined the club at eight years old and signed an Academy scholarship in July 2016 while attending St Bede's College with tuition funded by Manchester City. In December 2016, manager Pep Guardiola named him as an unused substitute in a UEFA Champions League match against Celtic.

Foden made his Manchester City debut in November 2017 against Feyenoord and became the youngest English player to start a Champions League match in December 2017 against Shakhtar Donetsk. In 2018, he became the youngest player to earn a Premier League winner's medal, a achievement recognized by Guinness World Records. During the 2018–19 season, he scored his first senior goal against Oxford United in the EFL Cup and became Manchester City's youngest-ever goalscorer in the Champions League against Schalke. Manchester City concluded that season by completing a domestic sweep of all trophies.

In the 2019–20 season, Foden helped City win the EFL Cup final and became the youngest recipient of the Alan Hardaker Trophy. During the 2020–21 season, he helped City reach their first Champions League final and secure another Premier League title. For his performances, he was named in the Champions League Squad of the Season and won both the Premier League Young Player of the Season and the PFA Young Player of the Year awards.

Foden scored 14 goals across all competitions in the 2021–22 season as City retained the Premier League title, earning him his second consecutive PFA Young Player of the Year and Premier League Young Player of the Season awards. On 2 October 2022, he scored his first career hat-trick against Manchester United, later extending his contract with the club until 2027. In the 2022–23 season, he won his fifth league title and featured in both the FA Cup and Champions League final victories to complete a continental treble.

During the 2023–24 season, Guardiola shifted Foden into a central attacking role. Foden contributed to wins in the UEFA Super Cup and the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup, where he scored in the final against Fluminense. In 2024, he was named Premier League Player of the Season and PFA Players' Player of the Year. Internationally, Foden represented England at youth levels before making his senior debut in September 2020, subsequently featuring in the squads for UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.