Returning to roots that helped hone his game, we travel back to Stockport with Manchester City's Phil Foden to find out a little more about this star on the break through. Strolling the streets of his humble beginnings, we followed the Manchester City protégé around the neighbourhood that made him who he is.
Stockport – just a nine-minute drive from Manchester – is a town that sits so close to significance, but one that rarely ventures into it. Its residential surroundings typical of north-west England as red bricked houses meet the corrugated metal shutters of local shops, it's a time-frame of working class Britain and with that, a place that feels heart-warmingly familiar. Like many Stockport lads his age, Foden has left home for a job in the city and whilst the commute for most is short, Foden's nine-minute journey is one built from nine years of graft.
In that time Foden's ball has ricocheted off the street curb and over the fence onto the immaculately green grass of the Etihad, and as he leads us towards the walls and wheelie bins that served as his makeshift goals, there's something quite pure about seeing this Premier League star transition back into just another teenager bouncing his ball down the pavement. Foden has been paving his way at City since 2009 and now that he's found himself part of Pep Guardiola's first team set up with a long term contract under his belt, his future is looking nothing but a rich vein of blue.
Foden is a starlet who can serve as an example that young players can make it through and find their way into the first team, proving that it doesn't matter whether you're from Sevilla, Sao Paulo or Stockport, if you're good enough, you're good enough. He's taken his chances at every juncture this season, notching goals and assists in the process.
Speaking to SoccerBible Magazine Issue 12: 'Coming Thru', he explains about the place where it all began; "It means everything for people around here. Stockport County are a big part of the community and a lot of people will go watch them play. It’s all one big family here. The place means a lot to me. I think football is one of the most watched sports in the world let alone in Manchester. Everyone is either always talking about the game, playing it, or watching it here."
Leaving home to move closer to the Manchester City training set up and being put through school, it's been a relationship of humble though heroic development for this young player. His words are powerful as they are genuine when he says, "It’s always a special moment when you put on that shirt. I do feel like I’m representing the people from around here and I think many of them look up to me. It’s good to have a chance to show what you can achieve in life if you put your mind to it. It’s special again when you step out onto the pitch at The Etihad. If you’re playing well, you can hear the fans singing “he’s one of our own”. That makes you feel lucky."
Photography by Ross Cooke and Martyn Ewoma. Styling by Sam Carder.
Phil Foden wears Beats Studio3 Wireless Headphones in Shadow Grey, Matt Black & Desert Sand. You can read the extended interview in SoccerBible Magazine Issue 12 here.
