Manchester City youngster Phil Foden has enjoyed a whirlwind year, starring and winning the Golden Ball for England’s successful Under-17 World Cup campaign, as well as making his senior debut with his club.
Foden started in City’s first defeat of the season, in the dead rubber fixture against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League, and he set two records in the process.
Having already qualified and secured top spot in their group, Pep Guardiola decided to rotate his squad for the Citizens’ final Champions League group stage game, and Foden was joined by his fellow academy graduate Tosin Adarabioyo in the starting line-up.
Foden is already the fourth youngest Englishman to appear in the Champions League, after he made his debut as a substitute last month against Feyenoord. On Wednesday, Foden became the youngest Englishman ever to actually start a Champions League game, at the age of 17 years and 192 days.
Josh McEachran previously help the record, himself setting it in a dead rubber European fixture, against Slovakian side MSK Zilina for Chelsea in 2010. He now plays for Brentford in the Championship.
Foden also broke a second record, where he became the first player born in the 21st century to start a game at that level – a record that cannot be broken.
