FIFA U-17 World Cup: Phil Foden, Guardiola's Man City gem and England's "next big star", set to make his mark in India 

We are mostly used to witnessing history being made from a distance. But with the advent of the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, we might be a spectator to the birth of an icon right here in this country. And he comes with some heavy citations, no less.

Phil Foden, who played his very first "big boy" match for Manchester City against Manchester United in the International Champions Cup, caught the fancy of his coach, Pep Guardiola, right away.

When a coach heaps praise on a player despite his team ending on the losing side, it speaks volumes about the player in itself, more so if he is only 17 years old. "I don’t have words - I would like to have the right words to describe what I saw," Guardiola was quoted as saying by the Telegraph following the Manchester derby in Houston.

Not able to stop there, the Catalan gushed, "You are the lucky guys [addressing to the watching Americans] who saw the first game, for the first team for Manchester City, of this guy. It’s a long time since I saw something like this. His performance was another level. He’s 17 years old, he’s a City player, he grew up in the academy, he loves the club, he’s a City fan and for us, he’s a gift.”

This very Foden is in the U-17 England’s World Cup squad and if high praises from Guardiola is anything to go by, he is certainly the player to watch out for during the impending Under-17 World Cup. And not for nothing. He gave Premier League stars, Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera, quite a run for their money with his dazzling midfield display in his maiden outing.

.@PhilFoden move to go past Herrera #mcfc #EnglandU17s pic.twitter.com/yOyg2iR9hD

— Barryfrom (@Barryfrom) July 21, 2017

Also of significance here is that Guardiola who oversaw the rise of a string of high-calibre players at Barcelona is genuinely taken up by him. That the Stockport-born Foden, who has been with the City Academy since the Under-9s level, is very much a long-term plan can be understood when you hear Guardiola say that, "He will stay with us training with us in the pre-season and maybe he’ll stay with us in [the] season because he’s special." Afterall, he scored 15 goals in 31 games for the Under-18s last season, Guardiola's first at City.

The FIFA World Cup – be it any age group – is a huge stage to showcase one's talent to the whole world. Foden who has just had his maiden big game this July end may be at his lethal best this October when the Under-17 World Cup will be held in India for the very first time. Foden will be seen live in action at Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium where England will camp during the group stage.

Foden has come a long way from his local team the Reddish Vulcans who, when letting him go, had remarked, "Remember the name…balance and a left foot like you can't believe."

Versatile with his playing position, he can play as an attacking midfielder as well as a forward. In the match in Houston, he lent a supporting role to City's star striker Sergio Agüero. The silky left-footed playmaker’s style actually resonates closely with Guardiola's Barcelona gang of yore – sharp with turns and lively in movement but equally up to it in defensive challenges. Maybe the qualities that one is used to seeing in a Spanish footballer and not in an Englishman, but his flair may remind one of a certain Paul Gascoigne in his pomp.

Apart from skill, Foden is also well-equipped with big match mentality, remaining unfazed while facing a capacity 67,401 crowd for the very first time as if he had been doing so all his life.

Besides, he has the all important knack and ability to score goals. Having obtained his academy scholarship in July 2016, Foden featured frequently in the score sheets during the 2016/17 U18 Premier League campaign. The 17-year-old found the net 11 times, including strikes against sizable opponents like Middlesbrough and Liverpool. Against Manchester United, he scored both home and away.

Don't forget his name, @PhilFoden... #ManchesterDerby #cityontour pic.twitter.com/o8GC3FK59v

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 21, 2017

In the recently concluded European Under-17 Championship, Foden contributed with a goal in the final against Spain, but England eventually went on to lose on penalties. He is set to gather more experience after being picked for the first team squad for Manchester City’s pre-season tour of the United States this summer.

A regular with the Under-17 England squad, he will be seen in action provided City release him for the World Cup. England Under-17s had also planned their qualifiers in such a way that Foden will be made available to them through and through. It is being hoped that he will eventually get to travel with his mates to India later this year.

It will be a golden opportunity for soccer crazy fanatics in India to bear the first-hand testimonial to a player who might be monopolising the sports headlines in years to come. Phil Foden, remember the name.