Phil Foden is hoping to rekindle his fortunes at Manchester City under new boss Enzo Maresca after back-to-back poor campaigns. The 26-year-old recently signed a four-year deal with the club to extend their association till 2030.
Foden showed sparks of return to form on the weekend with two assists in a 4-1 win at Selhurst Park over Crystal Palace. It backed up an impressive showing against Bournemouth in the opener that had drawn praise from his manager.
If the performances keep up, Foden is expected to become a part of City’s leadership group as he enters his 10th year as a senior pro at the club.
The Englishman has spent all his life in Manchester with his parents from Stockport. Foden entered City ranks as a 8-year-old and climbed through the academy before earning a debut as a 17-year-old.
As a result, Foden has a well settled life off the field too. He is married to childhood sweetheart Rebecca Cooke and the pair have three kids together.
The family were recently seen out and about around the Trafford centre a couple days before the Palace encounter. Little did they know they would end up encountering a viral sensation.
The Fodens and their son Ronnie ended up at a SpudsBro pop-up food truck in the vicinity to try their famous jacket potatoes. The food venture run by brothers Jacob and Harley Nelson has over five million followers across social media and is now a household name in the UK.
The SpudBros made their name with point-of-view vidoes showcasing them preparing orders and generous giveaways. They have already hosted a spree of celebrity names, including Liam Neeson, Joe Jonas, and Will Smith.
The latest addition to that list was Foden.
Foden waited in line for his chance and ended up as their last customer of the day. He settled for the chef’s choice, and was served with a hefty portion featuring tuna, coleslawy, beans,crispy onions, and more.
While the spuds were being prepared, Foden revealed he had seen their videos online but never tried one before. The footballer stood sheepishly the entire team, cleary excited at the prospect of some hearty potatoes.
Foden did show he roots when he politely declined any offerings of a spicy sauce.
There was one last surprise left before the delivery. The cook at the counter informed Foden that she had spoken to the owners and they were offering the potatoes on the house to the City legend.
Foden’s eyes instantly lit up and a genuine vote of appreciated followed as he collected his food.
While Foden may have deemed the moment to be a wholesome interaction, the internet saw things differently.
Criticism rained down far and wide on the Mancunian for not paying to a family-owned business that has been in operation since 1955. That is despite Foden’s recent salary hike earning him £280,000 a week at City.
“I’m sorry but not paying a small business when you’re on £300,000 pw is ratty behaviour, I could never do that,” a user wrote on X.
The fact that SpudBros growing popularity has seen a raise in their item prices irked fans even more. It is safe to say Foden was one of the lsat people who needed to be handed a free Spud, yet he showed no resistance to the idea.
“Why should someone earning hundreds of thousands a week get something free that the average Joe has to pay normal price for?” another comment read on X.
The video did not even show Foden tipping the staff for their efforts.
“Man should of thrown them a few hundred its nothing to him,” a fan opined on X.
This is not the first time Foden has coe under the scanner for being selfish. had He famously flouted COVID-bubble rules durin the pandemic when away with the national team by bringing some girls to the hotel room.
Nevertheless, Foden will hope to put the off-field noise behind him as City gear up to host the newly promoted Coventry City on Saturday. The Mancunians are currently two out of two and chasing their first Premier League title in three years.
