Premier League News: Pep Guardiola lavishes praise on Phil Foden; calls him the 'most talented player he has ever seen'

What's the story?

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has billed Phil Foden as the most talented player 'he has ever seen' in his entire career, both as a player and manager. Guardiola added that the so-called 'Stockport Iniesta' has it all in him to rise to the top of the world, and not just England.

In case you didn't know...

Pep Guardiola is regarded as one of the sharpest minds to be involved in the game. Regardless of where he has coached, the former Barcelona player has landed a pool of trophies.

He was expected to do it at the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, but performing the same at Manchester City earned him larger applause, as he was up against many competitors for the title.

In fact, he has now transformed the side into a group of players who can simply go out there and win, no matter what comes their way. From the way of playing the game to the tactics and work ethic, Guardiola seems to have conquered England as well, through City.

Meanwhile, Phil Foden broke through to professional football in 2017 for the Cityzens, after having won the Golden Ball at the FIFA U-17 World Cup. The youngster has already won the Premier League twice, along with two League Cups and a Community Shield as well.

The heart of the matter...

Guardiola has played with and coached the best in the world including the likes of Lionel Messi, Manuel Neuer, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Robert Lewandowski. However, he reckons that out of all of the players he has managed, Foden is the most talented of them all.

Speaking ahead of Manchester City's final game of their Far East pre-season tour, he said:

“Phil is the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career in football as a player and a manager. I said it many times in press conferences - but maybe not in front of him. He has everything to become one of the best players, not just in England."

Guardiola further lavished praise, claiming:

"His only problem is sometimes his manager doesn’t put him in starting 11, so hopefully in the future he can improve. He deserves all the minutes, but with his competitors it isn't easy. He is open-minded and works incredibly hard in every training session and he knows how much I appreciate him."

What's next?

Phil Foden and Manchester City will take on Yokohama FM later today in a friendly.