Manchester City have announced that Phil Foden has signed a new four-year contract that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2030.
The 26-year-old attacker has made 369 appearances for the club since stepping up from the academy to the first team, scoring 110 goals and providing 68 assists.
Foden has been a central part of City's remarkable period of success having won 20 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, one Uefa Champions League, three FA Cups, five League Cups, one Uefa Super Cup, and one Fifa Club World Cup.
He has also been named Premier League Young Player of the Season and PFA Young Player of the Year award on two occasions, as well as winning the FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Player of the Year.
“It's an unbelievable feeling,” said Foden to the club's official website. “Obviously, being here since a young age, coming through the full academy into the first team, it's always been a dream of mine to play for City.
“I'm lost for words really, to continue my journey. I've had so many great memories here, winning a lot of trophies and I've enjoyed every single day.
“[The club] means everything [to me]. It's all I've ever thought about as a kid, playing for the first team, winning trophies and it's just the perfect club and a place where I'm really happy and every single day I come in I just enjoy it so much. Seeing all the staff and the players it’s really together and a family, I would say.”
The contract will mean Foden - who has won 49 England caps but was left of this summer's World Cup squad by Three Lions manager Thomas Tuchel - will have represented City for two decades, something he could never have imagined at the beginning of his career. “Not in a million years,” he admitted.
“I would say I had a dream to make it to the first team, but to stay this long, it's a dream really. And like I said, I'm just enjoying it and trying to make the most of it.”
With Pep Guardiola having left City in the summer after 10 years in charge, it will be Ezno Maresca at the helm next season, something Foden is looking forward to.
“So excited,” hew said. “Obviously, I've had Enzo before. When we had him in the Treble season, he was brilliant. His attention to detail, the small things that make a big difference, and even training with him at the moment, you can tell how good of a coach he is. I'm really excited to play under him and see where it goes.
“He's down to earth. He's someone that you can go to and talk about anything to him and he would help you out. Even if you want to work on things to get better, he'll do one-on-one sessions with you after training. And that's something he did with me as well when he was here.
“I did small finishing drills with him and things like that and he really grew my game. So like I said, I'm looking forward to. [His style if play is] very exciting. You can tell by the first few sessions that I've done with him.
“The way he likes to play out from the back and play a lot of possession-based and it suits my game really well. I'm looking forward to that and hopefully it can help my game go to the next stage.”
City's director of football Hugo Viana hailed Foden as a “unique talent” whose best years are still to come. “Everyone at Manchester City is incredibly proud of Phil,” said the Portuguese. “He represents everything good about our Academy. He is a unique talent, and his creativity is a joy to watch.
“But none of what he has achieved would be possible without the focus, dedication and humility to work hard in every moment and absorb all of the knowledge available to him through our coaches and players.
“Given Phil joined City at the age of nine, his continued success is one that is celebrated in every corner of our Club from the Academy staff who helped develop him right through to the City fans who have backed him throughout.
“At 26, his development is still ongoing, and we look forward to seeing the player Phil can become over the coming years.”
City, who won the FA Cup and League Cup double last season, start the new campaign by taking on champions Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 16 before Bournemouth visit the Etihad Stadium on the Premier League's opening weekend a week later.
