After praising Phil Foden as “one of the best” players he has ever played with, Sergio Aguero has urged the Manchester City star to show patience.
Despite making 32 Premier League appearances last season, Foden was not in Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup. Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne were the center team, with Bernardo Silva favored on the right.
Aguero, citing examples like Aymeric Laporte, Raheem Sterling, and Kyle Walker, asserts that things may change dramatically with Guardiola. And the Argentine thinks Foden will play a far bigger part for City this season.
“Phil Foden for me is one of the best players I’ve ever played with,” he told Stake.com.
“And I‘ve played with many very good players, but Phil Foden surprised me a lot since he was very young.
“I met him when he started to ascend at the age of 16/17 years old to the first team. He had that talent that others at 16/17 years old don’t have.
“And what surprised me the most was his control, his technique and maybe his ability. And the start that he has in those first three or four metres. I think he must stay calm because in the end Guardiola is a coach like that.
“Let’s remember many players, like Laporte who have had two undisputable official years. For example, Riyad Mahrez, Sterling had made the undisputed player for three years. Then they never played.
“Kyle Walker until two years ago was the first choice right-back and today, he is not. Bernardo Silva when he arrived at the City, he played the first games, then for one or two years he didn’t play as much and now he is an undisputable player.
“Guardiola is a coach who knows how to read the moments of the players and with Guardiola the only thing you have is patience and wait for your time. Phil Foden is very young and has a lot to prove and so I think that this year could be quite useful for Guardiola. Jack Grealish also played very little the first year and started his season also not playing as an official and ended up being an undisputed official player and having a good season.”