In Phil Foden biography, what you should know first is that he was born on May 28, 2000, and is a talented English footballer who plays as a midfielder for Manchester City in the Premier League and also represents the England national team.
Phil Foden life story includes the fact that he is regarded as one of the best young players in the world.
He rose to prominence in 2017 when he won the FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball award as part of England’s successful campaign.
He made his debut for Manchester City in the same year and was honored with the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in December.
Since then, Foden has made 205 appearances for Manchester City, winning numerous honors, including becoming the youngest player to receive a Premier League winners’ medal.
He has also achieved significant milestones, such as becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the UEFA Champions League and the youngest English player to start a match and score in the knockout stages of the competition.
In 2021, Foden was recognized as the Premier League Young Player of the Season and the PFA Young Player of the Year.
Foden has also represented England at various youth levels.
He made his debut for the senior national team in September 2020, in a UEFA Nations League victory against Iceland. So far in 2023, he has scored 3 goals and has made 8 assists in 23 senior caps.
Everything About Phil Foden
The information below, including Phil Foden stats in 2023, will help you have a general image of the English soccer player.
- Phil Foden Real Name: Philip Walter Foden
- Phil Foden Age: 22 years old
- Phil Foden Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.71 m)
- Nationality: English
- Current Team: Manchester City, England national team
- Position: Midfielder
- Phil Foden All-time Club Appearances: 247
- Phil Foden All-time Club Goals: 79
- Phil Foden All-time Club Assists: 52
Phil Foden Style of Play
Foden is known for being left-footed and has the ability to play as a wing-back or winger on the right side, although Pep Guardiola, his manager at Manchester City, has described him as “more of a midfielder.”
In Phil Foden biography, we see that Guardiola has praised Foden as a special player with potential, despite not being physically strong or tall, and has expressed confidence in helping him develop.
Foden has been noted for his tight and adhesive ball control, as well as his ability to drift past opponents, as described by Louise Taylor of The Guardian in 2017.
In 2018, football writer Brian Glanville referred to Foden as a gifted and precocious teenager with rare skill and inventiveness.
Additionally, during his time at Manchester City, Foden has also been occasionally deployed by Guardiola in a central attacking role as a false 9.
His Club Career
In this section, we will be covering his club career in detail.
A Man City Fan
Born on 28 May 2000 in Stockport, Greater Manchester, Foden has been a lifelong supporter of Manchester City.
He joined the club at the age of four and signed his Academy scholarship in July 2016, with his tuition fees being paid for by Manchester City as he was privately educated at St Bede’s College.
In December 2016, at the age of 16, Foden was included in the matchday squad for a Champions League group stage match against Celtic by City head coach Pep Guardiola, although he did not play in the 1-1 draw.
In July 2017, Foden was part of Manchester City’s squad for their pre-season tour of the United States, where he impressed in a 0-2 loss to Manchester United and started in a 4-1 win over Real Madrid.
He made several appearances on the bench at the start of the 2017-18 season, and on 21 November 2017, Foden made his Manchester City debut in a Champions League game against Feyenoord, coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute for Yaya Toure.
At the age of 17 years and 177 days, Foden became the fourth-youngest English player to make an appearance in the Champions League, an interesting fact in Phil Foden biography.
On 6 December 2017, he broke the record previously held by Josh McEachran to become the youngest English player to start a UEFA Champions League match, at the age of 17 years and 192 days, in a 2-1 defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk.
However, his record was later broken by Jude Bellingham in October 2020. Foden also became the first player born in the year 2000 to start a match in the competition.
Breaking Multiple Records
He made his Premier League debut as a substitute in a 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 16 December 2017.
Foden continued to make significant contributions to Manchester City’s success, featuring as a late substitute in the EFL Cup Final on 25 February 2018, helping the team secure a 3-0 victory against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.
The following month, he broke Kieran Richardson’s record to become the youngest English player to start in a knockout match in the Champions League, doing so at the age of 17 years and 283 days in a 4-0 win over Basel.
In Phil Foden biography, you must know that on 13 May, he became the youngest player ever to receive a Premier League winners’ medal, earning recognition from Guinness World Records for this achievement in their 2020 edition.
Foden played a crucial role for Manchester City in the 2018 season.
He was in the starting line-up for the FA Community Shield on 5 August 2018 and played for 75 minutes, providing an assist for Aguero’s goal in City’s 2-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
This marked Foden’s third winners’ medal of the year.
On 25 September 2018, he assisted Riyad Mahrez and scored his first senior goal in injury time, securing City a 3-0 away win against Oxford United in the EFL Cup third round.
Foden scored his first home goal at the Etihad Stadium on 6 January 2019 during City’s 7-0 victory against Rotherham United in the FA Cup third round.
Three days later, he scored again as City defeated Burton Albion 9-0 in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-finals.
His First Goal in The Champions League
On 12 March 2019, Foden scored his first Champions League goal in the second leg of the last-16 tie against Schalke, helping City win 7-0 (10-2 on aggregate).
This also made him Man City’s youngest-ever goalscorer in the Champions League and the youngest English goalscorer to score in the knock-out stages of the competition at the age of 18 years and 288 days.
In Phil Foden biography, we read that in the following month, he made his first league start for City in a 2-0 win over Cardiff City, becoming the youngest English player to do so since Daniel Sturridge in 2008.
City manager Pep Guardiola praised Foden, stating that he expected him to be an important player for Manchester City for the next decade.
Foden scored his first Premier League goal on 20 April 2019 in a 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the third-youngest player to score for the club in the Premier League, after Micah Richards and Sturridge.
Manchester City went on to complete a domestic sweep of all trophies that season, with Foden playing an increasingly prominent role in the squad.
Foden kicked off the 2019-20 season by adding another trophy to his collection, as Manchester City won the FA Community Shield against Liverpool on 4 August 2019.
He scored in the penalty shoot-out to help secure the victory.
He then made his first Premier League appearance of the season on 10 August 2019, as City defeated West Ham United 5-0 at the London Stadium.
In the UEFA Champions League group stage match against Dinamo Zagreb on 1 October 2019, Foden scored his first goal of the season, contributing to a 2-0 home victory.
Becoming Better and Better
He had an impressive performance in the group stage, creating the second most big chances (6) in the competition, only behind Lionel Messi (7).
Foden made his first Premier League start of the season on 15 December 2019, providing an assist for Kevin De Bruyne in a 3-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
He continued to excel in cup competitions, starting in the EFL Cup Final on 1 March 2020 and helping Manchester City win 2-1 against Aston Villa, earning him his sixth major honor and eighth career trophy.
He was also named man of the match in the final, becoming the youngest recipient of the Alan Hardaker Trophy.
When Premier League football resumed after the COVID-19 pandemic on 17 June 2020, Foden was on the scoresheet as City defeated Arsenal 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
He followed it up with his first Premier League brace and scored in consecutive league games for the first time as City won 5-0 against Burnley at home on the next matchday.
He also scored and provided an assist in a 4-0 victory over Liverpool on 2 July 2020.
The 2019-20 Premier League season ended on 26 July, with Foden starting in a 5-0 victory over Norwich City, as Manchester City finished in second place.
It was a significant moment for Foden, as it marked the departure of his idol David Silva after 10 years with the club.
Foden had previously expressed admiration for Silva and had been tipped by Pep Guardiola to be his successor at Manchester City.
Impressive Performance at Such a Young Age
Foden started in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League knockout tie against Real Madrid on 7 August 2020, helping City win 2-1 (4-2 on aggregate) and advance to the quarter-finals.
However, City would eventually be knocked out of the competition.
Phil Foden biography shows that Foden ended the season with 38 games played, scoring 8 goals and providing 9 assists across all competitions.
Foden began his scoring for the 2020-21 season in the Premier League with a goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers on match-day 1, helping Manchester City to a 3-1 victory on September 21, 2020.
He continued his scoring form with a goal against West Ham in a 1-1 draw at the London Stadium on October 24, 2020, coming on as a substitute and equalizing just six minutes after replacing Sergio Aguero at halftime.
Foden also scored his first UEFA Champions League goal of the season against Olympiacos in Greece on November 25, 2020, securing City’s progress to the round of 16 for the 8th consecutive season.
Foden had a standout performance on February 7, 2021, scoring a goal and providing an assist in a 4-1 away win over Liverpool, which was City’s first win at Anfield since 2003.
He also scored against Everton on February 17, 2021, as City won 3-1 away, extending their lead at the top of the table and making it 17 consecutive wins in all competitions.
Foden was also on the scoresheet in both legs of City’s Champions League quarter-final tie against Borussia Dortmund, securing their progress to the last four of the competition.
Another Man of the Match Award
On April 21, 2021, Foden received the Man of the Match award and scored against Aston Villa at Villa Park, helping Man City to a 2-1 victory and extending their lead at the top of the table to 11 points.
He also won his 9th trophy with Manchester City just four days later, as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the EFL Cup Final, with Foden playing the full 90 minutes.
Foden made history with City again, as they reached the UEFA Champions League Final for the first time, beating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 on aggregate, with Foden providing an assist in the second leg, another impressive performance seen in Phil Foden biography.
He secured his third Premier League title in four years on May 12, 2021, as Manchester United was defeated 2-1 by Leicester City.
Foden was also named in the starting 11 in City’s first-ever UEFA Champions League Final in the club’s history, although they ultimately lost the match 1-0 against Chelsea, marking Foden’s first loss in a final during his senior career.
He was recognized for his outstanding performances by being named in the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season and winning the Premier League Young Player of the Season award, while also being nominated for both the PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year, winning the latter award.
Foden was unable to participate in the start of the Premier League season due to an injury sustained before the Euro 2020 Final, which caused him to miss matches against Tottenham, Norwich City, and Arsenal, and only be on the bench as an unused substitute against Leicester City.
Return From Injury
However, he made a strong return, starting in a 6-1 victory against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup, where he scored, provided two assists, and was awarded man of the match.
He then scored his first Premier League goal of the season on October 3rd in a 2-2 away draw against Liverpool.
Foden was also named man of the match in a group stage match in the Champions League against Club Brugge KV, and went on to score against Club Brugge in the second leg of the tie.
In the Premier League, Foden scored a brace and provided an assist in a 4-1 away victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, earning him the man of the match.
He also scored the winning goal and was awarded man of the match in a 1-0 away win at Brentford, but missed the next game against Arsenal due to fitness concerns.
Foden continued his impressive form, scoring twice in two games in away wins against Norwich City and Sporting Lisbon on February 12th and 15th, respectively.
He then scored another winning goal and was awarded man of the match at Everton in a 1-0 away win on February 26th.
In Phil Foden biography, Foden found the back of the net against Real Madrid in a thrilling 4-3 home victory in the semi-finals of the Champions League, although Manchester City would ultimately be eliminated from the competition after losing 3-1 in the second leg at the Bernabeu.
Foden was also instrumental in Manchester City’s comeback against Aston Villa on the final day of the season, helping them win the Premier League title over Liverpool.
Foden ended the year with a total of 14 goals, including nine in the Premier League.
His First-ever Hat-trick
He was awarded the PFA Young Player of the Year for his outstanding performances and also won the Premier League Young Player of the Season for the second consecutive year.
In addition, Foden was nominated for the PFA Player of the Year and the 2021-22 Ballon d’Or award.
Foden achieved a significant milestone on October 2, 2022, when he scored his first-ever hat-trick in a thrilling 6-3 victory against Manchester United at home, another fact in Phil Foden biography.
Additionally, on October 14, 2022, Foden committed to staying at Manchester City for the foreseeable future by signing a three-year extension to his existing contract, which would keep him at the club until 2027.
His International Career
He has been a prominent member of the English national squad since he was very young. Let’s find out about his performance on the international scene.
Scoring Against Spain at 17 Years of Age
In May 2017, Foden found the back of the net in the final of the 2017 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, although England’s under-17s ultimately suffered a defeat in a penalty shoot-out against Spain.
However, Foden’s talent and skills caught widespread attention in October of the same year when he scored twice in the final of the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup against Spain, helping England win the competition.
In Phil Foden biography, it is noted that he was recognized as the best player of the tournament and was awarded the FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Ball in 2017, garnering significant media coverage.
Foden continued to make an impact in international football, as he was included in England’s 23-man squad for the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and scored his first goal for the U21s in a 2-1 defeat to France in May 2019.
Impressing with the Senior Squad
He then made his debut for the England senior squad in August 2020, appearing in a UEFA Nations League match against Iceland, where he also scored his first international goal.
However, Foden, along with teammate Mason Greenwood, was later withdrawn from the England squad due to a breach of COVID-19 protocols.
Foden went on to score his first and second goals for England in a UEFA Nations League match against Iceland in November 2020.
Foden’s impressive performances earned him a place in the 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2020, although he joined the squad later due to his participation in the UEFA Champions League Final.
He drew attention for dying his hair blonde, reminiscent of former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne’s iconic haircut during Euro 96, and expressed his admiration for Gascoigne in a press conference.
Foden was also included in England’s squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and he made his first appearance in the competition as a substitute in a win against Iran.
He subsequently scored his first goal in a major international tournament for England against Wales and provided assists in the following game against Senegal.
You can also have a look at our other biography articles, such as Joao Felix Biography.
Phil Foden Personal Affairs
Phil Foden biography states that Foden has been in a long-term relationship with Rebecca Cooke, who is the mother of his two children – a son born in 2019 and a daughter born in 2021.
Rebecca, who is currently 22 years old, prefers to keep her private life away from the public eye and has not disclosed much information about her family, except for having a younger sister named Skylah.
It is uncertain whether she attended university, as she became a mother at a young age and had significant responsibilities to handle.
Her career and source of income are also not disclosed.
There is a possibility that Rebecca’s job is to take care of their home and family, as they already have two children.
The exact details of how and when Foden and Rebecca met are not known, but Foden attended high school in 2015, so they could have been together since then.
They started dating seriously after a few initial meetings and have remained inseparable since.
The birth of their first child has strengthened their relationship, although they have experienced some ups and downs along the way.
In September 2020, Foden faced controversy when he and another football player were seen partying with unidentified ladies in a hotel room during an England team tour, and a Snapchat video of the incident went viral.
As a result, both players were sidelined for the next match by coach Gareth Southgate.
Foden and Rebecca also had a public disagreement in June 2022, which was caught on video, where Rebecca allegedly found another girl’s message on Foden’s phone while he was swimming in the ocean.
Despite facing challenges at a young age, Rebecca and Foden have matured over the years and are currently responsible parents.
Phil Foden’s Family
Phil Foden, born on May 28, 2000, in Stockport, England, comes from a family with a strong football background.
His father, Phil Senior, was a former semi-professional footballer, and his mother’s name is Claire Foden.
Being raised in a household of football enthusiasts, Phil was inspired to pursue the sport from an early age.
His father played a significant role in his football development, serving as his coach and mentor.
Phil maintains a close relationship with his parents and acknowledges them for his achievements in football.
