• Football
  • Boxing
  • UFC
  • Home
  • Football
    • England
    • Transfer News
    • Premier League
    • Champions League
    • Lionel Messi
    • Cristiano Ronaldo
    • EA FC 25
    • Wrexham
  • Boxing
    • Tyson Fury
    • Anthony Joshua
    • Oleksandr Usyk
    • Mike Tyson
    • Jake Paul
    • Logan Paul
  • UFC
    • Dana White
    • Conor McGregor
    • Khabib Nurmagomedov
    • Jon Jones
    • Paddy Pimblett
    • Joe Rogan
  • Other Sport
    • Athletics
    • Formula 1
    • MMA
    • Motorsport
    • NBA
    • Darts
    • NFL
    • Snooker
    • Wrestling
    • Tennis
    • Cricket
    • Golf
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube
Thomas Frank names surprise choice for England's most likely next Ballon d'Or winner

Home> Football> England

Updated 17:18 19 Feb 2024 GMTPublished 17:16 19 Feb 2024 GMT

Thomas Frank names surprise choice for England's most likely next Ballon d'Or winner

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has had his say on which England player is likely to win the Ballon d'Or next.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has had his say on who could be England's next Ballon d'Or winner.

England were the first nation to have a Ballon d'Or winner, with the legendary Stanley Matthews collecting the inaugural prize in 1956.

Bobby Charlton was the next Englishman to win the gong a decade later, before Kevin Keegan picked up the award back-to-back in 1978 and 1979.

Advert

Michael Owen was England's last Ballon d'Or winner back in 2001 despite the plethora of talents who have played at the highest level since then.

Currently, Real Madrid sensation Jude Bellingham has been tipped to England's next Ballon d'Or winner - while Harry Kane is always in with a shout given the amount of goals he scores.

But Frank, who manages England striker Ivan Toney, believes Manchester City star Phil Foden is the closest to reaching those dizzying heights.

Advert

Speaking ahead of Brentford's trip to City on Tuesday night, 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."

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

Advert

Foden scored a hat-trick against Brentford in the reverse fixture at the Gtech Stadium on 5 February.

He has arguably been City's best player this season, with 15 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.

The 23-year-old has been capped 31 times for England, though it's widely accepted that his best form in a Three Lions shirt is yet to come.

Image: Getty
Image: Getty

Advert

City currently find themselves four points behind league leaders Liverpool following a 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Saturday.

The champions can close the gap to one if they win their game in hand against the Bees.

Featured Image Credit: Getty & Beanyman Sports

Topics: England, Phil Foden, Ballon d'Or, Manchester City, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham

Josh Lawless
Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and WWE. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has covered two WrestleMania events for SPORTbible.

X

@joshlawless_

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

17 mins ago
an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • 17 mins ago

    Wrexham's transfer budget for first season back in the Championship under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney emerges

    Newly promoted Red Dragons want to continue their extraordinary upward trajectory next season

    Football
  • an hour ago

    Man Utd starlet who was part of 2017 Europa League-winning squad is now without a club after sad decline

    The former Manchester United academy star has been looking for a new club since last summer

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Bombshell news emerges on future of shock Premier League manager whose club can still qualify for Champions League

    Huge news has emerged ahead of the final day of the Premier League season.

    Football
  • 2 hours ago

    Jack Grealish tipped to make transfer that would have been unthinkable months ago ahead of showdown talks with Pep Guardiola

    Jack Grealish has found himself horribly out of favour at Manchester City ahead of the summer transfer window.

    Football
  • Pep Guardiola makes choice when naming world's best midfielder 'by far' that may surprise fans
  • POLL: Who will be the next first time Ballon d'Or winner?
  • Man City's Erling Haaland makes frank Ballon d'Or belief admission after nomination
  • Pep Guardiola once fined himself after a brutal comment he made to Phil Foden