Phil Foden Reveals What Caused His Horror Season At Manchester City
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 20: Phil Foden of Manchester City warms up before the Premier League match ... More between Manchester City FC and AFC Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium on May 20, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Neal Simpson/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Phil Foden's absence from Thomas Tuchel's England squad was not surprising.
He might still technically be the holder of the coveted PFA Players' Player of the Year trophy for his outstanding performances last year, but in the final months of this season, he could barely get a game.
The mysterious downturn in form, which has led to this sorry scenario for the Manchester City forward, began with Foden donning the white shirt of England last summer at the European Championships in Germany.
Touted ahead of the competition as a key component in the most exciting front line in a generation, he soon became a scapegoat for the side's lethargic performances in the early rounds.
It was strange to see a player who, just weeks before, picked up the ball with such incision and rifled it into the back of the West Ham United net in the final crucial game, struggling to find a forward pass.
He was not alone. England had a long list of underperformers in those early weeks of the competition.
However, while Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka looked reinvigorated when they returned to their club colors, Foden's bluntness continued.
It should be noted that his struggles have come in the context of Manchester City's worst season in eight years. This campaign has been shockingly bad, considering four back-to-back titles had been won before then.
But even so, Foden has failed to have any real impact on a poor Pep Guardiola side.
Addressing his decision not to select the attacked England boss, Thomas Tuchel suggested a combination of mental and physical strains was to blame.
'Phil had a difficult time since last camp,' said the German.
'I loved Phil as a person, fantastic. I love his talent and ability he showed, simply outstanding, no doubt. He struggled before last camp to show it at Man City.
'Things weren't so easy for him, became a bit more complicated after the [Manchester] derby on a personal level [when Manchester United supporters sang derogatory songs about his mother], what happened with fans and also on a physical level.
'[He's]
still suffering from ankle problems. Putting it all in the mix, we thought it better for Phil to take a breath, not be with us, which was also very hard because I admire and like him a lot.
COLOGNE, GERMANY - JUNE 25: Phil Foden of England during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match ... More between England and Slovenia at Cologne Stadium on June 25, 2024 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo by)
'But it's better he takes care about his ankle, gets fully pain free and be fit for the Club World Cup. So a mix between injury and performance.'
Foden doesn't do much media, but he has a habit of offering brutal, often self-reflective honesty when he does.
Shortly before he was cut from the England squad, he provided the fullest explanation yet for his horrible downturn in form.
Addressing the physical problems, Foden revealed he'd played with an injury from which he'd not properly recovered.
'I managed to play on with my ligaments done [against Manchester United],' he said, 'that's the kind of person I am. I try play on with anything. I remember how much pain I felt when the adrenaline died. I missed the next game or two, came back to training quite early.
But most tellingly, he said some off-field problems were dogging his mind.
'It's been a frustrating season for me. I've had a lot of things going on off the pitch mentally,' he explained.
'It's one of them, sometimes there's things in life bigger than football. This season, I've struggled a little.
'Hopefully, come next year, I can get my head mentally right, get back where I left the season before because I know what I'm capable of and the quality I have. I know if everything was okay, I'd definitely be better on the field.
'Sometimes things happen; you have to deal with it and move on. Unfortunately, I've had a difficult season. Now it's just about improving, getting back to my best. I know my standards and what I can reach. I'm looking forward to getting back.'
'The club have been so supportive. I can't thank them enough...'
We often take for granted that elite athletes can put aside everything in their personal lives and continue to perform at the highest levels.
But the reality is that there are many times when events away from the field have an impact.
We don't know about these events because they are, by their very nature, personal.
Foden has suggested that this is the reason behind his struggles, which should be respected.
Fortunately for the Manchester City forward, his manager, Pep Guardiola, appreciates this.
He discussed Foden's problems: " A baby, baby boy from the Academy is becoming a star for us, and we want to help him.
'He needs rest, and it's going to happen, and step by step, it's going to happen. It's what we want; we want to help. I don't care about his performance on the pitch; I want him to feel good, and the rest will come.'
Both England and Manchester City fans will hope that's the case.
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