Pep Guardiola declared Phil Foden the most talented player he has ever seen in his entire career.
Manchester City have been excited about the England Under-21 international for some time and the arrival of the manager to the Etihad in 2016 was heralded by club bosses as a red-letter day for the academy.
Foden has been nurtured in the first team squad for the last two seasons, with Guardiola adamant that he would not let the youngster leave on loan.
After impressing at the Under-21 European Championships, Foden linked back up with the squad in Hong Kong and is primed for more opportunities after showing his worth in the business end of last season.
Asked about him ahead of their game with Yokohama F Marinos, Guardiola came out with an extraordinary compliment.
"I said many times in press conferences, but maybe not in front of him - he is the most talented player I have ever seen as a football player or manager" said the coach.
"He has everything to become one of the best players, not just in England.
"His only problem is that sometimes his manager doesn’t put him in the starting XI.
"Hopefully in the future he can improve. He deserves all the minutes but he knows what team he plays for and with his competitors it isn't easy.
"But he is open-minded and he works incredibly hard in every training session. He knows I appreciate him. I’m here to help him as much as possible to become what he is and I am pretty sure both of us will get it."
