Phil Foden Joins Select Group of Champions League Youngsters After Man City Debut

Much talked about Manchester City starlet Phil Foden made his senior debut for the club in the Champions League win over Feyenoord on Tuesday night and joined a very select group of players born this century to play in the prestigious competition.

Juventus talent Moise Kean became the first player born in the 21st century to get on the pitch in the Champions League when he made his debut last November. Fellow Juventus player Fabrizio Caligara was then the second when he played on matchday one this season.

Born in May 2000, Foden only celebrated his 17th birthday at the end of last season and is having a truly incredible year after winning the Golden Ball award for best player when England recently lifted the Under-17 World Cup.

Earlier this month he was named 'Rising Talent of the Year' at the annual North West Football Awards, while Pep Guardiola saw fit to label the youngster a 'special player' after also selecting him for the first-team's pre-season tour squad during the summer.

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Foden appeared from the bench in the 75th minute as a substitute for veteran star Yaya Toure  on Tuesday. As far as Guardiola is concerned, the player certainly has the talent to go all the way and must focus on making the most of his vast potential.

"Phil knows that the club is there to support him but it depends on him. He has to come and work every day and he knows we trust a lot with him and we are going to try," the boss was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail after the final whistle.

Toure is equally confident that Foden can become a star, telling ManCity.com, "If he stays in this club, he is going to be one of the top players because it's always good to learn from and be close to the big players."

Toure likened Foden as a young player at City to his own experience of playing with elite names at Barcelona, having moved to Camp Nou when he was still only 23 years of age.

"When I was at Barcelona, I learned a lot. I was lucky enough to have a chance to win trophies because of the players around me," the Ivorian continued.

"It's fantastic for him and he's going to be the future. He's very important. The team keeps changing and the club are moving forward, so it's very important [to bring players through].

"I think he must stay here and learn from the big players, like [David] Silva, Kevin [De Bruyne], [Ilkay] Gundogan, Fernandinho - all those players are going to give him more experience and confidence for the rest of his career. I hope we will see a great player in the future."

18-year-old Brahim Diaz also appeared against Feyenoord and Guardiola has hinted that City's relatively small squad could mean that both teenagers are given more chances over the coming weeks and months.

"If the result had been more [comfortable], they would have got more minutes. They are young talents but our squad is not too big so we will see what happens," he explained.