Foden's stunning hat-trick shows why he HAS to be Footballer of the Year

If there are any lingering doubts among voters as to who should be crowned Footballer of the Year for 2023-24, Phil Foden underlined - three times for emphasis - why this is an open and shut case.

It should be the same when the PFA Player of the Season vote comes back around.

There have been some fine campaigns elsewhere this season. Alexis Mac Allister has been brilliant for Liverpool; Declan Rice has been the conductor for Arsenal’s title bid; Ollie Watkins is tied second in the scoring charts in the Premier League and is tied for first in the assist table; Jarrod Bowen has 15 goals in a hit-and-miss West Ham side; on his own team, Rodri has been magnificent, as he so often is.

But Phil Foden is the Footballer of the Year regardless of the metric you want to use and his mesmeric hat-trick against Aston Villa, the third of his career by the age of 23 and his second of the season after Brentford away, only further strengthened his case.

‘He can do whatever he wants,’ Pep Guardiola said, barely able to mask his smile, afterwards.

‘I think he’s a really top class player and we know it.’

This is Guardiola, though. There’s always room for improvement.

‘He’s open minded,’ he said. ‘He still has to focus on things, sometimes he’s distracted with what to do defensively, but he has a natural talent, a gift. He’s so special when he’s in a central position.

‘He has goals in his veins, and we have to use him.’

Foden’s year-on-year improvement goes beyond Guardiola’s probing and the encouragement and challenges of coaching staff. It even goes beyond his own professionalism and in-built work ethic.

He is highly motivated to be the best in the game, obsessed even. That’s what separates him.

Joleon Lescott reminisced of how he even had to take