David Silva: Phil Foden 'Will Be a Good Replacement for Me' at Manchester City

David Silva is confident Phil Foden will be able to step into his shoes at Manchester City when he leaves the club next year.

The 33-year-old will depart the Sky Blues after 10 years when his contract expires in 2020.

Per Goal's Stephen Creek, he said of Foden:

"I'm sure he's going to be a fantastic player. He's a very nice man and he will be a good replacement for me.

"Apart from his natural skills, he's a very competitive person. He always wants to win and that makes a very good footballer.

"When you're young, you always ask people with experience. I've given him lots of advice, like how to move on the pitch. He's taken the information in and he's getting better day by day.

"He reminds me of myself when I was young—especially how he is as a person. He's very quiet but always there, competing. He hates losing."

Foden, who turned 19 on May 28, made 26 appearances for City in all competitions last season as they completed the domestic treble, won the Community Shield and reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

Of those games, 11 were starts, and he contributed seven goals and two assists along the way.

He also netted a fine goal for England's under-21s at the UEFA European Championship earlier in June:

Despite his efforts, the Young Lions lost 2-1 to France, and he was subsequently left out of the starting XI in their second game as they crashed out of the tournament with a 4-2 defeat to Romania.

Dominic King of the Daily Mail was among many who questioned manager Aidy Boothroyd's decision to leave out Foden:

It's already clear the midfielder is a special talent who often makes everything look easy. He's confident on the ball whether he's picking out a team-mate or carrying it at his feet, and he's an intelligent player despite a lack of senior experience.

There have been some occasions when he's struggled, as Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe observed during City's 1-0 win over Leicester City in May:

He's still developing his game, though, so the occasional subpar performance is to be expected.

Silva will leave behind enormous shoes to fill, and Foden won't be the finished article by the end of next season. However, he'll have another full campaign of first-team football under his belt, so City will be well-placed to cope with the Spaniard's departure.