Fernandinho has been training with Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden for the guts of four years.
Foden, who turned 21 yesterday, originally broke into Pep Guardiola’s first-team sessions back in 2017.
But this season he has come to the fore in a major way for Manchester City and his form has even resulted in Raheem Sterling being dropped as of late.
The youngster scored big Champions League goals earlier in the season and now looks set to start tonight’s final against Chelsea in Porto.
Fernandinho has seen his development over the years and the Brazilian midfielder is shocked by how much better the player looks in training these days in comparison to when he first emerged.
He told The Manchester Evening News: “Through his training work with us, four or five years, he’s grown so much, the quality he has is hard to find in other players. The desire to play good is incredible.
“He has grown up so much in this competition, this season, and more minutes is important. At the start, nobody knows what can happen in the season, but he’s kept his feet on the ground and that’s one of the reasons he’s at the level he is now. A very important player, and I hope he can continue like this.”
So far, Foden has managed 16 goals and 10 assists under Guardiola across all competitions this season, which is quite a remarkable return.
The scary – and exciting – thing if you’re a Manchester City fan is that the youngster is only going to get so much better, especially working under a coach like the Spaniard.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
