The John O'Shea role (noun) - A role designated to a particular player within a team who doesn't really excel in any position but will churn out a 6.5/10 performance whether you ask him to play as a right-winger or at left-back.
Probably not a great idea to start a Man City article by talking about a former Manchester United player, but bear with me here.
It doesn't matter how star-studded your team may be, every team needs a John O'Shea; someone capable of plugging gaps when an injury crisis hits or slotting into an unfamiliar position when others are in need of a rest.
Pep Guardiola knows this better than anyone, so much so in fact that he seems determined to transform Kyle Walker into a central midfielder and he even managed to turn consistent three-goal-a-season man Ilkay Gundogan into Europe's most prolific goalscorer for a short period last season.
Adaptability is key to success, yet neither of the aforementioned City players can even hold a candle to Phil Foden in this regard.
There's an odd irony to the fact the whole of England spent about three years lambasting Guardiola for not offering Foden more time on the pitch, only for the City boss to spend the past 12 months playing him in just about every position possible.
Central midfielder, attacking midfielder, playmaker, left-winger, right-winger, false nine - you name it, Foden's done it.
And yet, the oddity of it all is that Foden couldn't be further removed from the 'John O'Shea role' tag - Foden doesn't plug a gap when he moves out to the right wing or leads the City line, he absolutely runs the game.
Guardiola's Swiss Army knife has acted as the spearhead of City's attack for two of their most impressive outings of the season thus far, with his movement and guile helping to plot the respective downfalls of fellow title-chasers Chelsea and high-flying Brighton.
It speaks volumes of the youngster's performances as the focal point of City's attack to think his side's inability to recruit a replacement for club-record goalscorer Sergio Aguero has been a mere footnote of their campaign.
However, a crossroads is on the horizon and Guardiola must approach it with caution.
The futures of some of City's heroes have been a hot topic of debate in recent months, with Raheem Sterling being courted by Barcelona and Guardiola himself casting doubt over his future at the Etihad Stadium beyond the expiry of his current deal in 2023.
The Catalan tactician isn't the only one approaching the final 18 months of his City contract; the aforementioned Sterling, as well as Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus, are also moving towards the milestone of uncertainty, and although Foden's future as a City player has never been in question, his role within the team is not quite so cut and dried.
It would be naive to think that City would possibly contemplate allowing Sterling, Mahrez and Jesus all to leave the club for free, but contract negotiations in modern-day football are fraught with stumbling blocks and hurdles to overcome.
As per Transfermarkt , the trio hold a combined value of £173 million, and if City are unable to thrash out new deals for those in question, Foden is likely to be tasked with moving back out to the wing.
If like the rest of us, Guardiola finds himself utterly captivated by Foden's performances as a false nine and decides to make his central role a regular feature of City's attack, the youngster could well find himself spending at least the next year honing his craft as a striker before again being told he'll be subject to a positional change if City's wide forward arsenal becomes depleted.
It's certainly not lost on me that Foden just seems to be brilliant wherever he plays, with Roy Keane perhaps summing it up best when he said of the England star: "Foden could play at left-back and he'd affect the game. He's that type of player. Wherever he is on the pitch, he'll have an impact - because he's quality."
However, I do feel there's a need to curtail the experimentation a little. Foden is going to be - and already is - absolutely sensational, but at 21 it's time for him to settle into one position to ensure he fulfils his astronomical potential.
Guardiola's quest for a striker is set to continue in January and beyond if unsuccessful in the upcoming transfer window and if the City boss does finally sign a shiny new centre-forward, any such Foden worries will soon be put to bed.
Until then, Foden is likely to remain in a state of limbo and that's not a great place to be for a man with the talent to become the greatest footballer England has ever produced.
Would you like to see Foden given a more settled place in the team? Follow City Is Ours content editor Ross Jackson on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
