Pep Guardiola has hinted there is a deep-lying role at Manchester City waiting for Phil Foden once he is ready to step back from terrorising defences as a forward.
At the age of 20, Foden is building on the raw potential that was obvious to Guardiola from the outset of his reign as manager.
The City boss was quick to usher Foden into his first-team squad, and at the age of 16 the Stockport-born player was selected as a substitute for a Champions League clash with Celtic in December 2016.
He saw no action that day but has gradually become an influential player, assuming greater responsibility this season following the departure of David Silva.
On Wednesday, Foden may be asked to wreak havoc against Marseille as City attempt to secure a fifth win from six games in this season s Champions League group stage.
They can reach 16 points, which would match the best return of any English club in the group stage previously achieved by Arsenal on their way to the final in 2005-06, by eventual winners Manchester United two years later, and by a Tottenham side that narrowly lost to Juventus in the next round in 2017-18.
Guardiola sees Foden as both a work in progress and a player who can have a dazzling influence already.
Phil is young but he has specific energy and specific quality, Guardiola said.
Of course, he has to improve in the final decision in the 18-yard box, he has to be more patient in that moment, but that s part of his game.
Last 16
— Phil Foden (@PhilFoden)
Guardiola has no concerns over Foden s evolving contribution to the City team and is savouring watching him tease and torment opposition defences.
In this moment I see him playing up front because of his dynamic sense in front of goal and he helps us with first pressure, Guardiola said.
When he is 24, 25, I think he will be able to play more defensive positions. Now he can play both wingers, behind strikers and as a striker.
As a manager, having a player like this who can play several positions is fundamental.
After Marseille comes the derby against Manchester United on Saturday, but for now City s focus is on building up a head of steam in the Champions League, the competition they long to win.
Foden s Champions League numbers make for fascinating reading and help to provide an indication of how he is growing into City s set-up.
He has played 361 minutes already in this season s competition, starting four games and appearing once as a substitute, while across the past two campaigns he collected just 374 minutes in total.
Although Guardiola sees him as a forward player, from a number of statistical perspectives Foden s influence appears to have altered in this campaign.
Foden created six goal opportunities defined by Opta as big chances last season, in only 254 minutes on the pitch, while this term he has forged just one such opening.
In the 2018-19 season he had seven shots at goal in 120 minutes on the pitch, while this time around he has registered nine attempts.
One area where he has stepped up his numbers is in successful passes ending in the final third, with 90 in the Champions League this season a step in the right direction after 51 in 2019-20.
Perhaps this year s most telling Champions League figure, however, is one that might go largely unnoticed but that Guardiola will delight in, with Foden winning possession eight times in the final third of the pitch.
That puts him top of all players involved in the group stage heading into the final round of games and underlines his value to City.
He s an incredibly important player for us, Guardiola said. He knows it and the team knows it.
