IT’S BEEN A HELL OF A JOURNEY | In Conversation with Phil Foden

Phil Foden says he can only ever see himself playing for City. The boyhood Blue, former Etihad ball-boy and Academy graduate revealed his dream of being a one-club player in the latest episode of the official Man City Podcast, ‘In Conversation With…’ Asked whether he’d ever considered playing anywhere else or even going out on loan when he was younger, Foden said: “No, honestly. I just always see myself as a City player. “I always just thought if I work hard enough and I know what my ability is about, I can push in the team and over time I started getting more minutes and now I’m probably getting the most minutes I’ve had this year “So yeah, I’ve worked really hard for it and it’s thanks to the manager also for trusting me, so I have to thank the manager for that for trusting me and keeping me around.” The Academy pin-up boy, Foden is an inspiration for the youngsters coming through the ranks. And after watching three more graduates – Micah Hamilton, Oscar Bobb and Rico Lewis - star in  the 3-2 win over Red Star Belgrade – he says nothing makes him happier than seeing others follow in his footsteps. “I think a dream of mine is to try and play with as many Academy players as possible in the first team,” said Foden. “It’s so nice to see Rico and Oscar doing so well – it’s just so good to see. Rico is unbelievable for his age and so is Oscar. “To see them doing what they’re doing now, yeah, it’s so good. “They’re going to be important for us. Like I said, when injuries happen, they’re always there and ready to step up.” And Foden reckons Rico Lewis is more advanced than he was at the same age! “How old is he -19? Yeah, it’s crazy. I think he’s much more alert than I was at that age. Like how aware of his surroundings and how intelligent he is. “It’s not normal to find that in an 19-year old, you know, it normally comes over time. “ “He’s so intelligent on the pitch and for the manager to trust him in midfield in these big games, just shows that. “ And the City and England playmaker had similar praise for Norwegian winger Bobb. “He’s similar to me with a left foot and in that he likes to get in the pockets and turn. “He’s an unbelievable player. Every time he’s played for us now and come on he’s done well as well so he’s really making an impact. “I’m really happy for him.” Listen to the full ‘In conversation with… Phil Foden’ via your CITY subscription now… SUBSCRIBE! @mancity About the Official Man City YouTube Channel: Here you will find all the latest videos from Manchester City, including, all Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup goals, highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, training and much more. Get closer to the likes of Jack Grealish, Bunny Shaw, Kevin De Bruyne, Lauren Hemp, Erling Haaland, Ellie Roebuck, Phil Foden, Esme Morgan and the rest of Pep Guardiola & Gareth Taylor’s teams!