Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden is England’s likeliest next Ballon d’Or winner, Brentford manager Thomas Frank has said.
In-form Foden has been directly involved in 25 goals in 37 matches in all competitions, scoring four in the Uefa Champions League and eight in the Premier League, including three away to the Beesb on February 5.
“He’s the closest England have to potentially getting a Ballon d’Or,” observed Frank, whose side were 1-0 ahead before Foden scored a 26-minute hat-trick.
“He’s at that level. He influenced the last game in so many ways, got on the end of three situations and scored three goals.
“He’s very good at dribbling and sliding people in. I don’t know him personally but it looks, from the outside, as if he has a very good mentality in terms of working hard.”
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Michael Owen was the most recent English player to win the most prestigious individual prize in football when he was at Liverpool in 2001.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham came 18th in 2023, one place above Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and six ahead of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka.
Bellingham, who has been in sensational form since joining the Spanish side from Borussia Dortmund in June, won the Kopa Trophy for the best-performing player aged under 21.
🗣️ “For me I think he’s the closest England get to a potential Ballon d’Or winner” 🏆
Brentford boss Thomas Frank on Man City’s Phil Foden who scored a hat-trick the last time the two sides met 🔊 pic.twitter.com/GYHzq54jmv
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 19, 2024
Brentford vs Man City: ‘Challenge’ for visitors
Frank accepted that he has an unenviable task when Brentford, who are six points above the relegation zone and suffered a fourth defeat in five with a 4-1 loss at home to Liverpool on Saturday, visit Etihad Stadium.
While Brentford will take encouragement from their 2-1 win at City last season, when Foden scored but Ivan Toney had the final say in the 98th minute, their opponents are unbeaten in 15 matches in all competitions, although their 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea on Saturday ended their run of 11 consecutive wins.
Frank named Rodri, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Jack Grealish, Bernardo Silva and Julian Alvarez among the players his squad needed to be wary of.
“The whole team, basically,” added the Dane. “It’s a big, big challenge but they still only have 11 players on the pitch.”
