Ronnie played a key role in City’s celebrations after winning the Champions League, from signing with Rico Lewis aboard the team bus to dancing with the players while perched on his father Phil’s shoulders in the changing room. His Internet fame spread like wildfire, and City supporters have since given him the Spanish nickname “El Way,” which means “The Dude.”
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“His character has shaped him into the person he is. Following [our] Champions League victory, I believe he became pretty popular. Phil Foden remarked in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, “He really reminds me of myself when I was a youngster and he’s quite hilarious.
“He is a very experienced player, a player for big clubs, a player that’s already played a lot of games in La Liga, in the Premier League,” he said at his press conference.
“I found it hard to believe. On my social media page, he was requested in every comment. I created an account for him because I figured I’d give the people what they wanted, and it immediately took off.
Ronnie reached the one million follower milestone and currently has 3.9 million followers just 14 hours after Foden created his account.
In Istanbul, the night had belonged to the senior Foden until Ronnie grabbed center stage. Early in the first half, the 23-year-old smoothly took over for Kevin De Bruyne, who had to leave the game due to a hamstring injury. His dynamism and determination were crucial in helping City defeat Inter Milan’s disciplined team and win the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Due to De Bruyne’s injury absence at the beginning of this season, Foden was forced to take over this position in the middle of the park. Pep Guardiola used him predominantly on the left wing last season, but as his player-of-the-match showing against Newcastle United shown, he is at ease in a more central position.
‘New position is my favourite’
“I think the one I played in against Newcastle, that’s my favourite one. I felt alive in that game, I felt myself more and I could get on the ball and do things. That’s always been me as a player and hopefully I can keep playing there and show people what I can do,” he said.
“It [the position] is one I can handle. There’s a lot of responsibility, it’s not just about going forward. You have to know what you’re doing defensively and know who is around you. But, it’s one that I can definitely do and I’m looking forward, if I can play there more often, what I can do in there.”
Despite Foden’s showing against Newcastle, Bernardo Silva was picked ahead of him for the subsequent game against Sheffield United last weekend. The arrivals of Matteo Kovacic, Mattheus Nunes and Jeremy Doku this summer will only further increase the level of rotation in the starting XI but it is something Foden has grown accustomed to.