Yaya Toure has labelled rising star Phil Foden as the "future" of Manchester City and tipped the teenager to reach the top of world football.
Foden saw his stock rise after starring in England's triumph at the Under-17 World Cup and made his senior debut for the Citizens off the bench in Tuesday's 1-0 Champions League win over Feyenoord.
City boss Pep Guardiola said the development of Foden hinges solely on the attitude of the 17-year-old midfielder.
But Toure is confident that Foden can reach his potential by learning from the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.
"If he stays in this club, he is going to be one of the top players because it's always good to learn from and be close to the big players," Toure told City's official website.
"When I was at Barcelona, I learned a lot. I was lucky enough to have a chance to win trophies because of the players around me.
"It's fantastic for him and he's going to be the future.
"He’s very important. The team keeps changing and the club are moving forward, so it's very important [to bring players through].
"I hope, and I think, he will stay for a long time.
"Sometimes you have great players coming because Man City is such a strong team, a powerful club who can buy players, but I think he must stay here and learn from the big players, like Silva, Kevin, Gundogan, Fernandinho – all those players are going to give him more experience and confidence for the rest of his career.
"I hope we will see a great player in the future."
