Thomas Frank claims Phil Foden is ‘the closest England will get to a Ballon d’Or winner’ as he backs the Man City star to become only fourth English player to receive the award

Brentford boss Thomas Frank believes Phil Foden can become only the fourth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or as his side come face to face with the Manchester City star tonight.

The 23-year-old bagged a hat-trick when the sides met two weeks ago at the Gtech Stadium and has scored five goals in as many matches against the Bees, who travel to Etihad Stadium hoping to emulate last season’s stunning 2-1 win.

Michael Owen was the last English player to claim football’s greatest individual prize in 2001 with Kevin Keegan, who won it in 1976 and 77 and Stanley Matthews in 1956 the only others to lift the award.

‘Foden is a very good player, for me he is the closest England will get to winning a Ballon d’Or in the future,’ Frank said.

‘He can influence the game in so many ways, the last game against us he got on the end of three situations and scored three goals. He is a very good dribbler and works very hard for the team.

Frank believes the Man City star can emulate Michael Owen, who won the award in 2001

‘I don’t know him but looking from the outside has a good mentality, he is very good and is playing regularly for one of the best teams in the world.

‘When I watch him play I like him a lot as a player.

Brentford were the only team to do the double over Pep Guardiola’s treble winners last season and are the last side to beat the champions on home soil in the Premier League.

However, the west London side will travel to the north-west with an injury-ravaged squad that is now without key defender Ethan Pinnock, who scored in his side’s 1-0 home win over City last year, for up to six weeks after the centre back picked up an ankle injury.