- Only three English players have ever won the Ballon d’Or.
- Michael Owen was the last Englishman to receive the award back in 2001.
- Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane? Which five players should have played in the Premier League? Listen to the everything is beginning podcast
Brentford manager Thomas Frank believes Phil Foden can become the fourth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or when his side go head to head with the Manchester City star tonight.
The 23-year-old scored a hat-trick when the teams met two weeks ago at the Gtech Stadium and has scored five goals in as many games against the Bees, who travel to the Etihad Stadium hoping to emulate the impressive 2-2 win. -1 from last season. .
Michael Owen was the last English player to win football’s biggest individual award in 2001, with Kevin Keegan, who won it in 1976 and 77, and Stanley Matthews in 1956, the only others to lift it.
“Foden is a very good player, for me he is the closest England will get to winning a Ballon d’Or in the future,” Frank said.
“He can influence the game in many ways, the last game against us he was at the end of three situations and scored three goals. He is a very good dribbler and works very hard for the team.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank has backed Phil Foden (above) to win the Ballon d’Or
Frank believes the Manchester City star can emulate Michael Owen, who won the award in 2001.
“I don’t know him, but from the outside he has a good mentality, he is very good and plays regularly for one of the best teams in the world.
“When I see him play I really like him as a player.
Brentford were the only team to do the double on Pep Guardiola’s treble last season and are the last team to beat the champions at home in the Premier League.
However, the west London side will travel to the north-west with an injury-ravaged squad that will now be without key defender Ethan Pinnock, who scored in his side’s 1-0 home win over City last year. , for up to six weeks after the defeat. The center back suffered an ankle injury.