Enzo Maresca has revealed he held several one-on-one meetings with Phil Foden at the start of his Manchester City tenure to help the midfielder rediscover the form that made him one of England's best players. The 26-year-old rarely featured in the second half of last season, but Maresca has made supporting Foden a priority since taking over from Pep Guardiola.
Early conversations to rebuild confidence
Maresca said he sat down with Foden "two or three times" early in his reign, having already phoned the player when he was left out of England's World Cup squad. The manager wanted to make clear how important Foden would be to his team. "Since we started I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning just to show him...I'm not sure that love is the right word to use but just to show him how important he is," Maresca explained. "I said many times that I know Phil from years ago so I know how good he is."
Foden's response on the pitch
Foden has started five of the first six games of the season and, after returning from a red card at United, has scored four goals in his last two appearances. Maresca acknowledged there is still work to do for the Stockport playmaker, who was excellent in the early months of last season before his form dipped again.
Manager's duty to improve players
"For different reasons the last few years he was not good enough," Maresca said. "But again I think when you have more players like Phil available you are a better team because at the end it's a matter of improving players, if you improve the players you improve the team. So for me it's my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England."
Maresca also stressed the importance of keeping players ready and happy across a long season. "The season is very long, many games. The important thing is that again when we decide to use Phil or another player the important thing is that they are ready. And again, I think for the players it's also important that they are happy and they enjoy football."
