Former Manchester City star Joe Hart believes Phil Foden has the credentials to succeed David Silva once the latter ends his association with the Premier League holders. Silva has already confirmed that he would be leaving the Citizens at the end of the campaign and this has spread speculation that the reigning champions could pursue a replacement from elsewhere.
However, speaking on Sky Sports, Hart has stated that the Citizens don’t need to look for an outside replacement and believes Foden should be handed with a regular starting spot next term, he told: “We all want to see Phil Foden play, but he doesn’t have to prove anything. He’s got Man City and Pep Guardiola, they believe in him. He doesn’t need to go out and have a season somewhere else and play some sort of different system.
“They believe in this guy and the players he’ll be around. He’s an obvious successor for David [Silva], when Phil Foden does come into this team, he’ll have been around it for four or five years, which should be something you only get when you’re 25-years-old, he’ll have that at 20-years-old. He’s just waiting and ready.”
There has recently been the talk of Phil Foden making a temporary move away from the Etihad Stadium but Pep Guardiola has clearly stated that the midfielder remains an important first-team player. Nonetheless, the youngster has yet to establish himself from the starting XI and he won’t have an easy route irrespective of the departure of Silva next summer.
The Citizens have multiple players, who are capable of playing in different positions and there has been the suggestion that Bernardo Silva could fit into the role of his namesake while allowing someone like Riyad Mahrez to feature on the flanks. The Citizens are currently fourth on the league table with a nine-point gap to leaders Liverpool.
