Phil Foden’s plan for leaving Man City confirmed in candid interview

Phil Foden has enjoyed a rapid rise in the game, winning a host of major honours with Manchester City, as well as establishing himself as a key player for England

Manchester City star Phil Foden has revealed his ambitions to pursue a career in coaching once he hangs up his boots. Foden is only 25 and likely has many years ahead of him in terms of his football career.

However, despite barely hitting his peak footballing years, Foden has already experienced a huge amount, on and off the pitch. For City, he has won six Premier League titles, a Champions League, the FA Cup twice and four League Cups, as well as many individual honours along the way.

Away from football, he is the father to three children with long-term partner Rebecca Cooke. With his football career and personal life moving at a rapid pace, it’s no surprise that he’s already thinking about his future.

However, Foden’s coaching aspirations aren’t necessarily focused on becoming a high-profile Premier League manager like his current boss, Pep Guardiola. Instead, he’s expressed a passion for working with young players, particularly in City’s academy, and children who simply play football for the love of the game.

Speaking with YouTube creator ‘StillRyan’, Foden shared his vision for his future, saying: “I like to think I’d be more experienced. Hopefully, I can help the younger ones coming through, because I went on the same journey as them.

“I’d like to think I could help anyone who is coming through to the first team. It’s just how I’ve always grown up, wanting to help people and make people happy. I always try and help anyone out when I can.

“One day I want to be a coach and coach the young kids in the academy. Yeah, I just love it really. I just love helping people and making them a better person.”

Aside from his on-field responsibilities, Foden shines off the field too, as he helps out with schemes like the McDonald’s Fun Football programme, which aims to inspire young football fans by giving them opportunities to play football. He added: “When you turn up and surprise kids and see the smiles on their faces and how happy they are.

“Obviously it’s free as well and anyone can get involved. So it’s something I’ve always looked forward to, helping kids, like I said before, and helping people out. It’s nice to be involved in it and help out in any way I can.”

At the Club World Cup, Foden has notched up a goal and an assist in two matches, including the first goal his side scored in the competition in the United States. The last Premier League season bore some frustration for Foden as injuries and patchy form limited him to 28 appearances with just 20 starting berths.

This contrasted sharply with his exceptional form in the 2023/24 campaign that saw him tally 19 goals and eight assists across 36 matches, which drove City to Premier League glory and saw him be awarded the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award. Foden candidly acknowledged that last season fell short for him, but is determined to shine at the Club World Cup and bounce back stronger for the next campaign.

Speaking in Philadelphia, he said: “I’ve had a lot of things going on off the pitch mentally. Sometimes there’s things in life that are bigger than football. This season I’ve struggled a little bit.

“If everything was OK I’d definitely be better on the field. 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 doing and the quality I have.”

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