Enzo Mareska, the manager of Manchester City, has revealed that a few honest discussions played a crucial role in helping Phil Foden find his confidence again. The English midfielder has been putting in some of his best performances in recent weeks.
Foden has netted four goals in his last two outings, including a stunning hat-trick against Greek side AEK (5-1) in the Champions League on Tuesday night. This marks a significant turnaround for the player who had gone 10 months without a goal until he struck during the weekend match against Ipswich Town.
Having previously worked with Foden as Pep Guardiola's assistant, Mareska stated that it was his personal mission to support the midfielder in reaching peak form. He revealed that he took time to personally remind Foden of his importance at the beginning of his tenure as manager.
It was two or three times, especially at the very start, explained Mareska. Just to show him... I don't know if 'love' is the right word, but to show him how important he is.
The Italian manager also candidly acknowledged Foden's decline in performance:
I know Phil from previous years, so I know how great he is. For various reasons, he hasn’t performed well enough in recent seasons.
The conversations have evidently borne fruit: during the clash with AEK, Foden scored on the 34th minute and added two more after the break, sealing his first hat-trick since April 2024, while also providing an assist for Ryan Cherki. However, Mareska is not rushing to conclude that Foden has fully returned to his best, noting that the player himself understands there is still a long way to go, even as he continues to progress in the right direction.
