Manchester City’s Phil Foden Could Match Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale In Special Feat

Manchester City’s young midfielder could emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in a special feat in professional soccer.

Foden, who won the Premier League and League Cup apart from helping City qualify for the Champions League final, has been shortlisted in Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year for the 2020-21 season.

If the 21-year-old midfielder is voted the PFA Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year, he would become only the fourth player to win both the prestigious awards in the same season after former Aston Villa striker Andy Gray, Ronaldo and Bale, according to ESPN.

During his first stint with Tottenham Hotspur, Bale won both the trophies in 2012-13, while Ronaldo won the double with Manchester United in 2006-07. Meanwhile, Gray had won both the awards while with Aston Villa in 1976-77 season.

Foden finished the 2020-21 campaign with a tally of 16 goals, including three goals in the Champions League, and 10 assists. The Under-17 World Cup winner made his senior debut with Manchester City in 2017 and so far has scored a total of 31 senior goals in as many as 124 appearances, across all competitions, according to Transfermakrt.

In the PFA Player of the Year award, Foden has been shortlisted alongside Ilkay Gundogan, last year's winner Kevin De Bruyne, and this season's Football Writers' Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year Ruben Dias. All three players are a part of the Premier League winning side Manchester City. Apart from them, the list also includes Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane.

In the Young Player of the Year section, Foden is up against Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold (last year's winner), Arsenal's Bukayo Saka, United forward Mason Greenwood, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice and Chelsea's Mason Mount.

Meanwhile, if Dias wins the PFA award, voted for by players in English football, the defender would become the first player since Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, in 2017-18, to win both the PFA and FWA awards.