As Phil Foden effortlessly struck the ball into the top corner two minutes into Manchester City’s final 2023/24 Premier League game against West Ham, a nation began to hope.
And when he scored his second just a quarter of an hour later in similarly impressive fashion, England began to dream.
Manchester City went on to lift their fourth consecutive Premier League trophy that day – but then again, few had gone into the day expecting them not to.
Yet again, it was Foden who had stolen the show – and England fans in Dortmund let him know with his own special song.
Surely, here was Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 talisman, a player who would be the crowning jewel in a team who were already being tipped as favourites for the tournament.
A player who had scored 27 goals in his 52 appearances all season, Foden won his sixth major title at the age of 23.
The recipient of the Football Writers’ Association and Premier League Player of the Year awards, the now-24-year-old was also named Manchester City’s Player of the Year and has made it into the Champions League Squad of the Season.
Foden’s England record had not quite matched his club statistics – but with a season like that, there was little doubt he would be one of the Three Lions’ shining stars out in Germany.
But Euro 2024 has seen Foden continue to surprise fans, albeit not always for the right reasons.
He was not the only star tipped for big things before the tournament not to live up to expectations, as France’s Kylian Mbappe and Portugal veteran Cristiano Ronaldo both struggling to hit the right notes.
Unsettled, uncertain, uncomfortable – that was how Foden looked for a number of his early minutes in the tournament, with the forward unable to find his place in an England line-up.
Was it the formation, the manager, the pressure that was hampering the greatness that the nation knew him to be capable of?
Fans, pundits and no doubt the England camp themselves racked their brains for what could be done to bring out the Foden that has lit up the pitch on so many occasions.
And then, as if by magic, the semi-final arrived.
‘Different gravy’
It has been said by that Lionel Messi used to ask his Argentina teammate Sergio Aguero about ‘that kid Foden’.
When Pep Guardiola became Man City boss in 2016, some of his Barcelona players, including Messi and Javier Mascherano, kept a keen interest in his new squad.
And Foden, affectionately dubbed ‘Pep’s lad’, piqued their interest in particular – even though the youngster – in his special no.47 shirt – was just 16 at the start of Guardiola’s tenure.
“He has everything to become one of the best players,” Guardiola said in 2019 when the ‘Stockport Iniesta’ was still making his way in the game.
“I have said many times in press conferences, but maybe not said it in front of him, Phil is the most, most, most talented player I have ever seen in my career as a manager. His only problem is sometimes his manager doesn’t put him in the starting XI. Hopefully in the future that can improve.”
He was poking fun at the clamour to see Foden included more, but he’s certainly forced his way into the first team now.
Aguero referred to his young teammate as ‘different gravy’ – something so good, a comparison is utterly pointless – and has tweeted it numerous times since.
Over the years, Foden has demonstrated over and over again just why the likes of Messi and Aguero took such an interest – and in England’s Euro 2024 semi-final against the Netherlands, he did so once again.
It seems a travesty that he did not get himself onto the scoresheet in Dortmund.
It was only the last-ditch heroics of Denzel Dumfries and then the cruel margins of the woodwork that kept his efforts out of goal.
But one thing is for certain: if England’s performance against the Dutch was their strongest of the tournament so far, then it had a lot to do with the fact that Foden finally looked back at his best.
He even reckoned that was his best ever performance for the Three Lions.
“It means everything,” he said afterwards. “Feels like it’s going to be the biggest game in my career. As you can see form my smile I’m just looking forward to it.
“I was a little bit unlucky tonight, a few close chances, but the main thing is the team winning and I feel like tonight was probably my best game in an England shirt so I’m delighted.”
He added: “I feel like the last two games have been improvements, the position is helping me to get on the ball and get in dangerous positions.
“I was enjoying it out there tonight, I was picking up space and looked more like myself like I do for City so I’m just enjoying my football.”
Foden missed the Euro 2020 final against Italy with a foot injury and was forced to watch the Three Lions lose their penalty shootout from the sidelines.
But when England take to the pitch against Spain on Sunday, he will be hoping that he is the missing link.
It does not matter now that he has not scored at Euro 2024 so far.
It does not matter that he has picked up zero assists, nor does it matter that he did not look at his best until the semi-final.
When the big day arrives, Foden will have the chance to banish all those facts from national memory and to prove that he really is, after all, different gravy.
talkSPORT will bring you live commentary of the Euro 2024 final on Sunday as England bid to make history against Spain. Tune in via the website or the app, and follow our live Euro 2024 blog for all the build-up.
News Summary:
- ‘Different gravy’ – Lionel Messi asked Sergio Aguero about Phil Foden aka ‘Pep’s lad’ and England dangerman
- Check all news and articles from the latest Football updates.