Maresca was quick to acknowledge Foden’s importance to the club’s identity, referring to him as a “guy from the house” due to his local roots and long-standing connection to the City fans. However, the Italian explained that he prioritised players with specific prior experience as skippers when finalising his selection. The City boss elaborated on his thinking regarding the 2023-24 PFA Player of the Year, admitting the decision was a difficult one to make.
“First of all, because Marc was already captain with Palace,” Maresca said. “So he has the experience. Gigio is the captain of the Italy national team, so he has the experience. The reason why I decided for them is because I can see them helping the teammates and the dressing room to behave in the right way.”
He added: “These are the four that are going to be the captains. But I was also thinking about Phil, because Phil is one of the guys from the house. He’s not in that group, but for me he’s also one of the captains, one of the players that belong to that group.”