Give Phil Foden time, he’s in good spot at Manchester City

When Jadon Sancho burst onto the England scene last month, the comparisons were obvious. This was the boy who had the gumption to leave Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in search of the first-team football he craved. 

At Dortmund, he has seen plenty of it. His electric performances backed his bold move and, after taking the Bundesliga by storm, here he was in the white shirt of his country, excelling again. 

And so what, many wondered, must Sancho’s former team-mate Phil Foden be thinking? 

The pair, born two months apart in 2000, had grown up together at City, progressing through the ranks at the Etihad Campus and attracting the same hushed whispers from admiring coaches. 

Both were tipped for great things, players who would be held up as evidence that City’s shiny, £200m academy was producing results. But for Sancho, the progression was not rapid enough, and off to Germany he went. 

The Three Lions call soon followed, while his old pal was handed a place in the Under 21s. This was more evidence that young English players need to go abroad to succeed. Penny for those thoughts? 

We got our answer at the start of the week and it was emphatic, delivered in the shape of a five-and-a-half year contract. 

It came after he signed a new contract with City at the start of the week to commit his future

Insiders say his new contract was vindiciation for City and Pep Guardiola’s methods

This, insiders say, was vindication for City and for Guardiola’s methods. A realisation that despite the wealth of attacking talent at the manager’s disposal, this is the place to develop into a star. 

Almost instantly, the 18–year-old was given a start, albeit in a fairly low key Champions League fixture with qualification already guaranteed.

Regardless, this was a chance to impress for a man who is yet to make a Premier League start for his beloved employers. It was a chance he struggled to take. 

In a lacklustre opening 45 minutes the sum total of his efforts was a scuffed pass to a free Raheem Sterling, a header over the bar, and a shot blocked when he dallied too long on a Sterling cut back. 

He struggled during the opening 45 minutes against Hoffenheim but grew into the game

There was better after the break. A sprint down the left and a pinpoint cross teed up Sterling who could not finish gave a glimpse of the substantial promise, while a mazy run ended with a shot narrowly over the bar. 

A controlled volley produced a fine save and a lovely cross for Sterling deserved a better finish. 

His best moment was a fearsome volley which Hoffenheim keeper Oliver Baumann managed to deflect over the bar. 

At times, however, Foden seemed far off the pace, which can happen when your last start was on November 1. 

Criticism is harsh. Foden is still very young and has much to learn. He clearly feels that he is in the right place to do so.

Midfielder, pictured celebrating with Leroy Sane, clearly feels he is in the right place to learn