Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden admits he grew up a fan of Pep Guardiola‘s Barcelona.
The midfielder, one of the stars of City’s run to the Champions League final, was a day short of his ninth birthday when Guardiola guided Barcelona to the first of two victories in the competition in 2009.
“Everyone knows he’s one of the best coaches to ever be out there,” said Foden, who turns 21 the day before City face Chelsea in Saturday’s final in Porto.
“So, just to play under him is very special. He just loves playing out from the back and playing beautiful football.
“It suits my style a lot and I’m just happy to keep working with him and keep improving.
“When I used to watch Barcelona as a kid, it was unbelievable – the way he set them up and how they played one-touch and two-touch football was unbelievable.
“I never would have thought that he would be my coach some day. I feel very lucky.
“I just remember growing up and they dominated football for years, winning everything. I just remember always watching it with my dad and thinking: ‘Wow! What a team this is and what a coach they have!’
“He has tried to bring that kind of football here and it seems to be working. They played a big part in my career, watching them when I was younger, and it helps as well now that the manager’s here.
“I understand how he plays and how he wants to play. It helps a lot.”
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