Phil Foden: From Man City super fan to superstar

Manchester City are five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 4-1 win away at champions, Liverpool.

Twenty-year-old midfielder Phil Foden scored one and had a hand in the other three goals.

His manager Pep Guardiola described him as a "huge talent" that can "still improve".

But how did Phil Foden become one of the most exciting young footballers in English football?

He's a life long city fan

Phil Foden grew up in Stockport, Greater Manchester and often played on the streets with his mates.

He was still playing outside with his pals until two years ago when Man City asked him to stop because they were worried he might get injured.

He has supported the club all his life and joined City aged four! His mum is also a City fan, but his dad and brother support bitter rivals Manchester United.

"Derbies used to be crazy because our family is split between City and United," Foden said.

"My brother's a United fan, so he'd wear his United top and I'd wear a City one and when someone scored we'd give each other banter.

"My dad's a United fan and he comes and watches, and I ask him who he'll support and he says City, just for that day. I'm changing him slowly!"

From ball boy to boy wonder

Phil Foden shared a picture of him as a Man City ball boy after he starred in the win against Liverpool

Phil Foden has been connected with Manchester City for pretty much all of his life.

After the 4-1 win at Liverpool, Foden shared a picture of himself as a ball boy, next to another picture striking the winner against the champions at Anfield. The caption reads "How it started, how it's going".

Speaking to football magazine Goal, Foden remembered having the chance to walk out onto the pitch as a mascot with the team as a boy.

"The first game I remember going to was one Bonfire night (November 5), when they said I could walk out with a player," Foden said.

"I would have been about six."

Agguueeerrooooo!!!

If you're a Manchester City fan, 13 May 2012 is an iconic date. Otherwise known as the Aguero moment because of the famous commentary from the game.

Sergio Aguero scored a 94th-minute winner against QPR that snatched the league title away from City rivals Manchester United in what is possibly the most dramatic moment in Premier League history.

Phil Foden, was just 11 at the time.

In 2012, Aguero scored the winner to earn City their first title for 44 years, while a young Phil Foden was in the crowd

"I was right behind the goal and saw it go in the net - I'll never forget it," Foden said.

"I remember the whistle went and everyone legged it on to the pitch! Me and my mum decided to go on as well.

"I remember seeing Aguero getting swarmed and security guards around him trying to get him to the tunnel. It was just full of people; you couldn't move.

"It was massive. I knew how big it was. I could tell by the reaction around me how big it was.

"I don't think it will ever be done like that again; it was a special memory."

Playing for City

Foden made his Champions League debut aged 17 and got to play with his hero, Sergio Aguero

At the time of Aguero's famous goal, Foden was already in City's football academy and in the years that followed he progressed through every age group right up until the first team.

Going from idolising Aguero to playing with him.

The City manager, Pep Guardiola has said Foden is the one player in the first-team squad that he would never sell.

On 6 December 2017, Foden broke the record as the youngest English player, at the age of 17 years and 192 days, to start in a Uefa Champions League match

"He's 17 years old, he's a City player, he grew up in the academy, he loves the club, he's a City fan and for us he's a gift," Guardiola said at the time.

He's a World Cup winner

Foden won the Under-17 World Cup with England and was named player of the tournament

Phil Foden was part of a squad that became only the second England football team ever to win a World Cup.

In India in 2017, Foden won the Under-17 World Cup as part of a Three Lions side that also included Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho and Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Foden scored twice in the final and won the Golden Ball award for the best player at the tournament.

The Stockport Iniesta

City manager Pep Guardiola has called Foden the 'most talented player he has ever seen'

Phil Foden's ability on the pitch has earned him the nickname 'The Stockport Iniesta'.

Andrés Iniesta is a Spanish World Cup winner who was a big part of a legendary Barcelona team that was managed by Pep Guardiola ten years ago.

In 2019, Guardiola said Phil Foden was the "most talented player" he has ever seen.

At the time many thought the manager was exaggerating the ability of his young midfielder - especially as he has managed the likes of Iniesta and one of the greatest players to ever play the game, Lionel Messi.

But after recent performances, Foden is starting to justify the nicknames and the praise.

Foden is compared to legendary Spanish midfielder, Andrés Iniesta

"Sometimes I pop back over to the academy and watch a bit of training and see how it's going," Foden says.

"There's a lot of special talents over there. Hopefully, they can progress to the first team just like I did. Why not?"

The way his career is going, in ten years the next generation of talented footballers could be compared to him.