Pep Guardiola once fined himself after a brutal comment he made to Phil Foden

Phil Foden can seemingly do no wrong at the moment, but that hasn't always been the case.

Foden is enjoying arguably his best season in a Manchester City shirt, having registered 15 goals and 10 assists in 36 games in all competitions.

The 23-year-old really upped his game while Kevin De Bruyne was unavailable through injury, and he has continued to impress since the Belgian's return to action.

Foden has largely played in a more central midfield role this season, giving him even more influence over matches and the chance to show his full range of attributes.

Pep Guardiola couldn't be happier with his young star, recently saying: "Phil is having his most influential season in the team in terms of goals and assists and how he reads the game. He is an exceptional player."

However, a few years ago the City boss was less pleased.

During a Champions League tie against Porto in 2020/21, Guardiola scolded Foden for not following his instructions when he took a free-kick.

As per James Ducker of The Telegraph, Guardiola shouted: F****** hell Phil! F****** hell! You haven't done what I said!"

The x-rated remark did not go down well with Foden, who felt Guardiola was guilty of double standards.

Said to be "furious" by his manager calling him out, he rushed down the tunnel and got changed in the dressing before many of his teammates had returned.

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When Guardiola arrived, Foden was waiting for him at the door and let rip. He told his manager, "Don’t ever do that to me again! You wouldn’t do that to other players.”

Guardiola apologised to the midfielder at the time but felt he needed to go further. The following day, a second apology was issued in a meeting with the whole team and Guardiola made the decision to issue himself with a fine.

The money went straight into the players' kitty in a gesture that was appreciated by the group. And Guardiola also admired the fact that Foden stood up for himself and had been wanting him to do so for a while.

It's claimed the moment was a turning point on Foden's City career and was seen as a key step in him transitioning from a boy to a man.

No City player is immune to criticism from Guardiola, but it's safe to say the Spaniard might think twice before calling-out the England star again.

Topics: Phil Foden, Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Premier League, Football, England

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton