Phil Foden, once the heartbeat of Manchester City’s attack, is now living through a storm that few saw coming. The English star who lit up the Premier League with his dazzling feet and youthful brilliance is suddenly fighting to stay relevant at a club he has called home since he was a boy. His story, once filled with dreams of domination and trophies, now reads like a nightmare — one of frustration, confusion, and fading confidence. It’s the kind of fall from grace that feels both shocking and sad, especially for a player once hailed as the face of Manchester City’s future.
Just over a year ago, Foden was at the peak of his powers. The 2023/24 season was his masterpiece — nineteen goals, eight assists, and a PFA Players’ Player of the Year award to crown his brilliance. He carried City on his shoulders during tough moments, dazzling fans with his left foot and killer instinct. Pep Guardiola called him “a generational player.” Pundits said he was “the closest thing England has had to Gazza.” And the world believed it. But football, as always, can change in the blink of an eye.
The 2024/25 campaign hit Foden like a hammer. Injuries started to creep in — first the ankle, then the recurring knocks that kept him out for weeks. But worse than the pain in his body was the pain in his heart. Something shifted mentally. Behind the scenes, whispers emerged that personal issues had distracted him. He wasn’t smiling in training. His energy seemed off. Even Pep, who always protected him, began to limit his minutes. The joy, the swagger, the hunger that made Phil Foden unstoppable — all of it seemed to fade.
Then came the moment that truly hurt: the England snub. When Thomas Tuchel named his first England squad for the World Cup qualifiers, Foden’s name was missing. It shocked everyone — even the players in camp. The message was clear: form had dropped, fitness was in question, and England had moved on for now. Tuchel’s subtle comment cut deep — “Phil just needs to find the joy back in his game.” To millions, it sounded like a polite way of saying, “He’s lost himself.”
Foden, ever the quiet fighter, didn’t lash out publicly. But friends close to him revealed that he took the omission personally. This was a player who dreamed of leading England to glory, and now he couldn’t even make the squad. He decided to pull out of June’s international fixtures to focus on recovery, hoping to come back sharper. But even when the new season started, the spark wasn’t there. Pep Guardiola’s team had evolved again — new signings, fresh energy, different tactics — and somehow, Foden found himself on the outside looking in.
Six games into the Premier League season, Foden had started none. He played just once, as a substitute. For a player once considered undroppable, it was a brutal reality. City lost two of those early games, and fans began asking questions. How could a team struggling creatively leave its best talent on the bench? The answer seemed more complicated than football logic. Some believed Pep was protecting Foden from further injury. Others suspected that Foden had mentally checked out, weighed down by frustration and exhaustion.
Then came Alan Brazil’s explosive comments on talkSPORT. The former striker didn’t mince words. “I’m astonished he’s not playing. I really am,” he said. “A couple of seasons ago, I thought, ‘What a player.’ His energy, his goals — magnificent. Could Phil really miss out on the World Cup next summer? That’d be a disaster. Let him go then, let him go — he’s too good a player not to be playing.”
Those words echoed through social media like thunder. “Let him go” — a phrase no City fan ever wanted to hear. But it captured the mood perfectly. How could such a gifted footballer, one who grew up in Manchester City’s academy and won every major title, suddenly be on the fringes of his own club?
Even Pep Guardiola’s words, though kind, couldn’t calm the noise. The City boss had once said Foden would “never be sold for any price.” But football doesn’t always respect promises. When a player stops smiling, when form dips, and when new stars rise, even legends can find themselves vulnerable.
And rise they did. City’s midfield was packed with names like Bernardo Silva, Julian Alvarez, and new young stars pushing for their chance. Across England, competition for national team spots was even fiercer. Gabby Agbonlahor listed them bluntly on talkSPORT: “Eze’s a starter at Arsenal. Gibbs-White, a starter at Forest. Bellingham, obviously a starter at Real Madrid. Cole Palmer’s flying at Chelsea. Morgan Rogers is thriving at Villa. Foden’s not a guaranteed starter at City now.”
For a player of Foden’s caliber, those words cut deep. He was once England’s next big thing, the player who could unlock any defense. Now he was being spoken about like a talent wasting away on the bench. It was almost unthinkable.
Still, the football world knows that class doesn’t vanish overnight. Foden is only 25 — still young, still dangerous, still capable of rewriting the story. His next chance could come in the biggest possible setting: the Manchester Derby. A fixture that has always brought out the fire in him. Six goals in eleven appearances against United — that’s his record. No one doubts that when the whistle blows and the Etihad roars, Foden could find himself again.
But deeper questions remain. How did it come to this? How did a boy who grew up dreaming of City’s sky-blue shirt, who lifted the Premier League trophy four times before 24, end up fighting for his place in the team he loves? The answer might lie in City’s evolution. Guardiola’s system keeps shifting, demanding more tactical flexibility, more patience, more movement off the ball. Foden’s natural instinct to drive forward, to play freely, may now clash with City’s calculated structure.
Some insiders also point to mental burnout. Since debuting at 17, Foden has barely rested. Year after year, tournament after tournament, pressure upon pressure. The expectation to become “the next Messi” or “England’s savior” has been crushing. By 25, he’s played hundreds of games, faced global scrutiny, and carried both club and country’s hopes. It’s easy to forget he’s still a young man trying to rediscover happiness in football.
For fans, watching this decline has been heartbreaking. They remember the Foden who destroyed Liverpool at Anfield, who danced through defenders like a street footballer playing on pure instinct. They remember the kid from Stockport who made it to the very top without losing his accent or humility. And now they wonder — will that player ever come back?
The nightmare scenario being whispered around Manchester is simple but devastating: that Foden could decide to leave. That he could look for joy elsewhere. And as unthinkable as it sounds, it’s becoming harder to rule out. Clubs across Europe would line up instantly — Real Madrid, PSG, even Liverpool. But for City fans, seeing their golden boy in another shirt would feel like betrayal and tragedy rolled into one
Yet football is also about rebirth. Many greats have fallen before rising again. Foden has the talent, the heart, and the love of a fanbase that still believes in him. All he needs is one spark — one goal, one performance, one moment that reminds everyone who he really is.
As Sunday’s derby approaches, the stage is set for that spark. Manchester City vs Manchester United — the rivalry that defines a city. And maybe, just maybe, the game that could define the next chapter of Phil Foden’s career. The fans will chant his name, the lights will shine bright, and somewhere deep down, the boy from Stockport will remember why he fell in love with football in the first place.
Because Phil Foden’s story isn’t over. It’s just waiting for a comeback — the kind of comeback that legends are made of. And if he finds that joy again, if he lets that fire burn once more, then maybe this nightmare will only be a chapter — not the ending.
