Phil Foden says the first half of his season was really good, then he could not get going in the second half. The Manchester City midfielder says changing positions made it harder to find rhythm, but his message now is simple enough: take the negatives, react and prove people wrong.
Foden's reset after England omission
Foden's first interview since missing out on England selection was more about his own response than the omission itself. He said he is calm, ready for a fresh start and still has a long career ahead of him, even after a spell he admits has not gone as planned.
The numbers show the dip clearly. He has failed to score in his past 31 appearances across club and country, and he has made 369 appearances for Manchester City already. That is a long way from the level he hit in 2023-24, when he scored 19 Premier League goals during City's title win.
Foden also turned 26 in May and says this is his tenth year in the first-team squad. He sounded like a player who knows the outside noise is not going away, but is more interested in what comes next than in replaying what went wrong.
City's backing and the fresh start
City's support has clearly helped. Foden said the new deal offered by Manchester City last month, a four-year contract that keeps him at Etihad Stadium until 2030, made him feel relaxed and able to concentrate on being the best version of himself.
Enzo Maresca checked in with him after he was left out of Thomas Tuchel's squad, and said it was his duty to help Foden be the player City want. Foden also has replicas of all 19 trophies he has won in his house, a reminder of how much has already been packed into his career.
The immediate test is not abstract. Foden has spoken about finding his rhythm again, and City now have to turn that reset into performances on the pitch, starting with the next run of matches after the England setback.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
