Footage of Phil Foden dismissing horrendous abuse from Manchester United fans has been shared online, after a group of supporters targeted the Man City star with shocking chants about his mother during Sunday’s clash at Old Trafford.
Foden came under fire during Manchester City’s limp 0-0 stalemate with local rivals United, as sections of Old Trafford’s home support taunted the 24-year-old star by labelling his mother, Claire Rowlands, 44, a ‘s**g’ while he was playing.
The England international, who was withdrawn in the 58th minute of the derby for second-half substitute Jeremy Doku, dismissed the shocking chants bellowed down by United fans — with footage showing him firing back a series of sarcastic gestures at the culprits in the stands.
In a video shared to social media platform TikTok on Sunday, Foden can be seen ironically clapping the supporters and giving them a thumbs up while inside Manchester United’s penalty area, before defiantly gesturing for them to continue.
Foden later took to Instagram with a three-word message – ‘we keep going’ – after the dull derby ended 0-0.
Pep Guardiola told United fans they should be ‘ashamed’ of themselves for targeting Foden in the aftermath of the goalless draw, while City are understood to be shocked and disgusted by how many Red Devils supporters were involved.
Rowlands has been in the public eye on a number of occasions in recent years. In January 2024, footage was released of her being put in handcuffs and thrown out of a Welsh nightclub after knocking a hat from a fellow partygoer’s head.
Phil Foden reacted to Man United fans after they targeted him with abusive chants on Sunday
Claire Rowlands, 44, is pictured alongside her son as he signs a contract in December 2018
The incident, which occurred at a Bentley’s nightclub in Towyn, Wales, took place on September 9 2023, just hours after Foden came off the bench to play for England in a Euro 2024 qualifier.
The 52-second clip, shown in court, showed Rowlands aggressively confronting police officers who were called to the scene.
Challenging the officers, she said: ‘Go on then, what’ve I done? Don’t come into my face unless you’ve got evidence.’
Another friend said, ‘No, she’s coming home with me’, as officers replied, ‘She’s staying with us for a minute.’
Rowlands was cleared of assault and but fined for her behaviour after she admitted to police: ‘I do not drink often but when I do, I make up for time. I am like an animal.’
She said: ‘I was drunk. It was just a bit of fun, a bit of banter. I just could not believe it, that I could get into trouble for knocking someone’s cap off. It’s my party trick, knocking someone’s cap off and putting it back on.
‘I did not mean him any harm or to hurt him and you can see that on the video. It was just a bit of banter which has been taken the wrong way.’
Rowlands also made headlines late last year after upsetting her neighbours by holding a ‘deafening two-hour fireworks party’ in the back garden of her house in leafy Cheshire.
Residents in the upmarket lane in Prestbury had to calm terrified pets and infants when the ‘display-standard’ pyrotechnics began and claimed they were given no warning by Rowlands of the event which lasted from 6pm until 8.30pm on a week night in November.
One, who lives close by, said: ‘It must have cost thousands.
Foden’s mother Claire made headlines last year after being kicked out of a nightclub in Conwy
The Manchester City and England midfielder has previously posted on Instagram to credit his parents Phil Snr and mother Claire (pictured with him) for his success in the game
Foden with mother Claire (right) and girlfriend Rebecca Cooke (in red) at the 2022 World Cup
‘They wouldn’t have looked out of place at the New Year’s Eve celebrations at the Sydney Harbour Bridge or at Disneyland!
‘Not that the neighbours were impressed. Most were concerned about their pets.’
Rowlands was also shockingly attacked backstage when she attended Amir Khan’s boxing fight against Kell Brook alongside Foden in 2022.
Social media footage showed an assailant punching Foden’s mother backstage after the City star had been harassed and verbally abused in a corridor at Manchester’s AO Arena.
Foden was subjected to a string of obscenities, including a homophobic slur, and was led back to the family’s private lounge.
The incident escalated, leading to Rowlands being shockingly hit in the face. Another member of Foden’s group later picked up a fire extinguisher as they attempted to defend the player.
Foden credits his mother and father for his meteoric rise in football, where he burst onto the scene as a teenager before being taken under Pep Guardiola’s wing at City.
Towards the end 2017, just a year after Foden had broken through at City, the young midfielder thanked his mother Claire and Manchester United-supporting father Phil Foden Sr. for the support they gave him during his journey into football.
‘Family,’ the touching message on Instagram read. ‘Thank you to my mum and Dad who have made all this possible.’
Separating the intensity of football with quiet family time is of great importance to Foden, who likes to unwind with unusual hobbies such as fishing and sticker collecting.
From her interview with the Telegraph four years ago, it is clear Rowlands understands her son’s desire to get away from it all — which only makes Sunday’s chants at Old Trafford all the more difficult to stomach.
City boss Pep Guardiola hit out at Manchester United fans who chanted about Foden’s mother
Foden has endured a difficult season at Manchester City but has vowed to remain ‘positive’
The City star pictured with Cooke and his social media star son Ronnie at the 2024 PFA Awards
‘I think it’s great for a footballer to unwind from all the stresses,’ Rowlands said. ‘I don’t really get (fishing) myself but Phil and his dad love it. Once he gets his rod out there’s no going back.
‘Me and his dad FaceTimed him when he was away with England last month and he’s sat there in his room doing his sticker books,’ she added.
‘I think he’s got about four on the go. Panini, Match Attax. It’s hysterical. It’s a good thing, don’t get me wrong, but that’s how obsessed he is about football.’
A furious Guardiola leapt to the defence of his star man following the horrendous scenes at Old Trafford.
‘It’s a lack of class,’ said Guardiola after Sunday’s game. ‘But it’s not United, it’s the people, you know? We are so exposed, people who are on the screen in world football: managers, owners, and football players especially.
‘Honestly, I don’t understand the mind of the people involving the mum of Phil. It’s a lack of integrity, class, and they should be ashamed.’
The City boss, however, rejected any suggestions Foden is low on confidence and has backed him to discover the form that has helped lead his side to six league titles.
‘When the team is not playing at the level that we had, it looks like everyone is not what they were,’ the Spaniard added. ‘I see the passion and smile on his face every day in training and that is what I want.
‘You see the numbers of players who have been four, five, six years. This year we drop and it’s all of them – that’s why we are struggling to win but the quality is there.
‘He won the Premier League in the last games (last year), in the game against West Ham with two goals. His impact was incredible and he will be back.’
Ahead of the Manchester derby, Foden opened up on what has proved a difficult season both for him and City, with the Premier League champions fifth in the Premier League table and 21 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool.
Man City are in contention for just one piece of silverware at the end of term – the FA Cup – after unusually early exits in the Carabao Cup and Champions League as well.
The PFA Players’ Player of the Year told GQ that both he and his team-mates are determined to remain ‘positive’.
‘Being in this position, I’ve not really been used to it, so it’s just something you’ve got to take on the chin,’ Foden said.
‘Unfortunately it’s just one of them seasons. We can still finish it off strong and we’ve just got to remain positive and trust in everything that we’ve done and stick together.’
Foden shares three children, including social media star Ronnie and daughter True, with his partner Rebecca Cooke, and he was keen to stress the important perspective they bring to his life during the interview.
‘I love being a parent,’ Foden added. ‘When things are not going well, if you’ve not won, you don’t think you’ve played well, it helps to go home to your kids – just to see them smiling and joking definitely helps me.
‘It makes you feel like there’s more to life than football.’
