Phil Foden is loving life in a new role and Pep Guardiola has now given Gareth Southgate a headache over Jude Bellingham selection

Phil Foden has admitted that he loves life from a central position: “It's where I want to be.”

It feels like the city ​​of manchester The star is much older than his 23 years after being 17 and quickly emerging as one of England's biggest talents.

While he boasts a trophy cabinet that includes five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, a Champions League and a Club World Cup, Foden has so far struggled to showcase his prodigious talent on a regular basis. during pep guardiola.

Despite making 250 appearances for last season's treble champions, Foden has been unable to secure a regular position in Pep Guardiola's team, instead using his versatility to play a variety of roles.

These include central midfield, right wing, left wing or even as a false nine up front, but after scoring a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Brentford while playing in a central role, Foden revealed exactly where you want to be playing.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I'm really delighted with my performances at the moment.

“I think I've played a lot more minutes now where I want to be.

“So yeah, I'm delighted with the way I'm playing. It's probably the best form I've had in a long time, consistently, so let's keep it going.”

“It would be useful if I played one position and learned that position in every game, but I am a person who adapts and plays many positions when necessary. I know that in this team I am going to do that, play many positions. so I will have to be prepared .

“I just enjoy playing anywhere in the middle, that's where I see myself and that's where I see myself playing the best football.

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“So hopefully I can continue to get more playing time in the middle and continue to play there as long as I can.”

Guardiola is one of Foden's biggest admirers and even he seems convinced that the 23-year-old's future lies in a central position at the Etihad Stadium, where he can thrive alongside him. Kevin De BruyneBernardo Silva, Rodri and Mateo Kovacic.

Guardiola said: “I know he has played a lot of games, I don't know how many for Manchester City and I know he has played in a lot of positions, but these games are very, very close.

“He has ability in the pockets and in the center of the goal because he likes to reach the area.

“When they play that deep, the spaces are very difficult and having a player who moves well in those spaces is really important.

“In the center of the goal he loves to be in the 18-yard box and he has a lot of weapons with his shot and his header, so I think he is playing his best season since we have been together.”

While Foden's position at Manchester City appears to be becoming clearer, the same cannot be said for his life with England.

Looking ahead to Euro 2024 Gareth Southgate has a wealth of riches with Foden currently competing with Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford for one of the wide attacker roles.

But with Foden now Manchester City's central protagonist, fans will start calling for him to be used in a delightful central midfield unit alongside Judas Bellinghamwho is thriving in a similar role at Real Madrid this season, and Declan Rice.

However, Southgate is a known fan of the likes of Jordan Henderson and Conor Gallagher and even deploys Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield.

Southgate has been asked before about using Foden in a central role but avoided the question, stating that Guardiola's insistence on using him abroad had influenced his own decisions.

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When asked about the possibility of him playing centre-back in England, Southgate said in September: “He doesn't do it for his club.

“Presumably there's a reason for that. It depends on the level of the game. In midfield, everyone wants to talk about 'with the ball', but there are a lot of details without the ball.”

When asked why that is, Southgate said: “You would have to talk to Pep, who is the best manager in the world, who plays it from the outside.

“He always has the freedom to move if we play him wide and that's important.”

Perhaps now that Foden is finding his career form in a central role, Man City and England may have cracked the code on getting the best out of a player who has the ability to become one of the biggest stars in football history. English.