Kieran Trippier and Dom Solanke respond to Phil Foden’s Man City goodbye
Phil Foden’s England team-mates Kieran Trippier and Dominic Solanke have reacted to a Man City farewell message posted on his social media.
The City midfielder was an unused substitute as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Bournemouth 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, which all but confirmed their place in the Champions League next season.
Omar Marmoush opened the scoring with a ridiculous 35-yard strike, which swerved and dipped past Kepa Arrizabalaga and into the top corner.
Bernardo Silva and Nico added goals for the hosts, before Bournemouth found a late consolation through Daniel Jebbison.
Foden bids farewell to City team-mate
Foden has had a poor campaign for Man City, with the midfielder only starting 20 out of the Manchester side’s 37 Premier League games so far.
The England international managed 27 goal contributions last season, as he won the PFA Player of the Season award, but in 2024/25 he has just nine to his name.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 27 | 7 | 2 |
However after the summer break, the 24-year-old will have no choice but to step up, as Kevin De Bruyne leaves Man City.
The match against Bournemouth was De Bruyne’s last home game in a City shirt, and Foden paid tribute to the Belgian on social media.
He took to Instagram to post a number of photos from the post-match celebrations, with the caption saying: “An evening celebrating @kevindebruyne.”
Foden’s international team-mates Kieran Trippier and Dominic Solanke liked the post, to show their appreciation.
Foden must step up
Football Insider Verdict
It has always felt as if Foden was going to be De Bruyne’s natural replacement, when the veteran midfielder moved on from Manchester.
In fact, last season it felt like the passing of the torch had already taken place, with the 33-year-old only managing 18 games due to injury.
However, since his European Championships campaign with England, Foden has struggled to hit the same heights as before, looking a shell of the player he was.
Of course, this is someone who has had very little rest over the past few years, and after breaking through at just 17, he has played a lot of football for his age.
Foden will be free of De Bruyne’s shadow next season, but it is yet to be seen whether he can recover his form to step up and fill the void of a Man City legend.