Phil Foden went against Man City's wishes - and that's when I knew he was special

So much has been said and written about Phil Foden already that it is hard to believe he only turned 24 in May.

It would be lunacy to predict with confidence that a boy aged eight or younger will go on to be one of the best players in world football, but everyone who knew Foden even before he joined City knew he had something special that those around him did not possess. That theme still continues today; Pep Guardiola has said Foden is the best youngster he has ever coached and several members of the England squad at the Euros talk about the Manchester City star being on another level in training.

From an early age, Foden was protected at the club. Protected in the sense that he was kept from playing above his age group in case the extra physicality upset the rhythm of a talented-but-slender kid, and protected from ego.

As desperate as City were to shout from the rooftops about the talent they had, they were even more determined that he should be allowed to develop with unnecessary pressure from outside. When Jadon Sancho arrived from Watford in 2015, he was quickly given a platform both in the Under-18s and with media that Foden wasn't afforded (and that's not to slag Sancho off, just to say they were treated differently because they were different talents).

The problem with City's strategy was that it didn't take long of Foden being on a football pitch for the secret to get out. Guardiola was far from the only person to be wowed by their first time watching such a talented prospect in the flesh.

On a cold night in December 2016, 571 fans were in Reading as the Championship club hosted City's Under-18s in the FA Youth Cup. Foden scored the second in a 4-0 win and ran the game to back up the rave reviews.

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