Brentford manager Thomas Frank has weighed in on who could be England's next Ballon d'Or winner, and his pick might surprise a few.
While the spotlight often falls on talents like Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, Frank believes that Manchester City's Phil Foden is the one closest to reaching those prestigious heights.
England has a rich history with the Ballon d'Or, boasting winners like Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, and Michael Owen. Despite the wealth of talent in recent years, Owen remains the last Englishman to clinch the award back in 2001.
Ahead of Brentford's trip to City, Frank said: "Phil Foden is a very good player. For me he's the closest I think England get to potentially getting a Ballon d’Or winner in the future."
"I think he's got that potential to get to that level. I think he influenced the game in so many ways last game - he got on end of three situations and scored three goals.
"He is very good at dribbling, can slide people in and works very hard. He seems to have a good mentality from the outside."
This season, Foden has been shining as one of Man City's top players, scoring 15 goals and providing 10 assists in all competitions.
Even though the 23-year-old has represented England 31 times, many agree that his peak performance in the national team jersey is still on the horizon.
