Phil Foden's son, Ronnie, has risen to fame following Manchester City's historic treble win in the 2022/23 season.
Ronnie Foden, also known as 'El Wey' amongst Man City fans, has over 3.4 million followers on social media platform Instagram. He became a hero for Cityzens because of his celebrations during their Champions League final win over Inter Milan in Istanbul.
Although Phil Foden still leads his family when it comes to Instagram followers — his figure stands at over nine million — Ronnie certainly seems to be growing in popularity. El Wey could overtake him if City continue to win the big trophies.
E o Ronnie Foden estendendo os braços pra torcida do Manchester City quando ganhamos a Champions League?
— Phil Foden⁴⁷ Brasil 🇧🇷 (@PhilFodenBrasil) June 21, 2023
Ele ficou feliz e falou pro pai: "Eles sabem o meu nome" 🥺🩵pic.twitter.com/nNa9pC8xEX
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Phil Foden kids, family, wife
Foden, born in Stockport, England, turned 23 at the end of May. He made his competitive debut for Man City in November 2017 as they faced Feyenoord in a Champions League group-stage fixture.
He has two kids with his long-term girlfriend, Rebecca Cooke. Ronnie is their oldest child while they also have a daughter who was born in 2021. Foden has been with his partner since they were teenagers, growing up in the same area.
The 23-year-old has won many individual accolades along with team silverware at Man City, including being named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2017.
Ronnie Foden Instagram account
Ronnie's Instagram, @officialronniefoden_, was created on June 25, 15 days after Man City's Champions League victory. His first post featured the comment, "El Wey has arrived" with a goat emoji.
His second post featured Man City legend Sergio Aguero, who spoke highly of Foden during his time at the club. Ronnie has just three other posts as the family was on holiday following a successful season.
Of course, Ronnie, four, does not control his own account. His parents both manage his profile on the platform. He is followed by footballers such as Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Alejandro Garnacho.
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What does El Wey mean?
Ronnie Foden was given the nickname El Wey by Man City fans. It loosely translates to 'That Dude' in Spanish.
The moniker could be something of a tribute to past greats in football who were known by Spanish or Portuguese nicknames. Ronaldo Nazario, also known as the Brazilian Ronaldo or R9, is known to this day as 'O Fenomeno' while former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres was called 'El Nino (The Boy)'. Lionel Messi is sometimes referred to as 'La Pulga (The Flea)'.
If Ronnie follows his father's footsteps and becomes a professional, El Wey could be the name by which future football fans describe him.
Why is Ronnie Foden called El Wey?
Ronnie became a hit with fans following videos taken by Phil Foden in the dressing room after games. They showed players such as Erling Haaland and Kyle Walker interacting with the four-year-old.
Ronnie seemed to help lift moods of the City players on their way to winning the treble with his presence and outgoing personality. It is a very similar relationship that Boston Celtics fans have with NBA star Jayson Tatum's son, Deuce.