As the football year starts to draw to a close, fans and pundits alike are going about the tricky business of naming their teams and players of the season.

After Manchester City dominated the Premier League - winning at a canter - it is no surprise that their players have featured heavily in discussions over the last few weeks.

Ruben Dias has been simply sensational since his arrival on English shores and was rightly named the FWA Footballer of the year.

John Stones has also been superb at the heart of the City backline while Ilkay Gundogan has enjoyed his best ever year in sky blue.

As if that wasn't enough, Kevin De Bruyne reinforced his credentials as one of the best creative midfielders on the planet with another sensational season.

However, as BBC's army of pundits named their picks for player of the season, Dutch legend Ruud Gullit singled out a different City star to lavish with praise.

For 20-year-old Phil Foden, it really has felt like a 'coming-of-age' season and Gullit believes he has everything it takes to become a global superstar.

In fact, Gullit went so far as to say that he believes Foden is even on a level with none other than all-time great, Lionel Messi.

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"In the past only the big, strong, quick players were the ones always selected by the English teams but now I think smaller, agile and more technical players are trusted more.

(Credit: The Football Terrace)

"City have given Foden his chance and he has shown he is unbelievable, that he is in the same category as Lionel Messi.

"He is not exactly like Messi as a player - no-one is - but with his stature, his height, his quickness - he is the same. He is a wonderful player and I've loved watching him."

Now let's get this straight, Foden has a long way to go before he can even think of matching some of Messi's numbers but you can't deny that the signs are all there.

He has been unplayable at times this season and was a driving force behind City's charge to their first Champions League final.

If he can play a part in Pep Guardiola's side finally getting their hands on the trophy they so crave, then it might be hard to argue with Gullit on this one.