LION IN WAIT
Foden hopes his Wembley wondershow will fast-track him into the Euro 2020 squad BRAVO USA OFFER
PHIL FODEN says he still harbours hopes of making Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad after a “dream” Wembley performance in the Carabao Cup final.
The 19-year-old Manchester City star eclipsed some big names on Sunday with a man-of-thematch display as Pep Guardiola’s men lifted the trophy for the third consecutive year.
And even though England manager Southgate was 200 miles north at Everton, he will find it hard to overlook Foden for much longer after watching a rerun of his energetic display.
“I want to be there [at the Euros] obviously but it’s very difficult with the players we have,” said Foden. “Hopefully, Gareth saw things that he liked.
“That is all I can do, just show what I can do every time I play and see where it takes me.”
Few left Wembley believing Foden will not grace the senior international stage at some point, even if this summer’s tournament could come too soon.
There will be an indication of Southgate’s thinking when the squad is announced for the friendlies against Denmark and Italy at the end of this month.
Foden was Player of the Tournament when England won the Under-17s World Cup three years ago and scored a wonderful goal against France in last year’s European Under-21 Championship.
Yet if he cannot force Southgate’s hand he should at least be able to encourage Guardiola to give him a little more game time in what remains of City’s season.
Guardiola has stressed that David Silva’s departure this summer will mean Foden gets more responsibility next term.
But his promotion to first-team duties, certainly in the Premier League, could be accelerated during the final three months of the season. The midfielder is set to start again tomorrow in the fifth-round FA Cup tie at SheffieldWednesday.
Foden is flattered to hear Guardiola suggest he can fill Silva’s shoes when the Spanish veteran departs.
He said: “If the manager says something like that, it gives you a lot of belief and courage to keep playing and doing well.”
And conceding he found the physicality and pace of the firstteam squad difficult to match initially, performances such as Sunday’s back up his assertion he now “belongs” on the better stages.
“Not many young players like myself could play in a team like this so it just shows the belief the manager and players have in me, which is really nice,” said Foden.
“When you are growing up you dream about playing at Wembley for City on a big stage, and that’s a dream come true for me now.”
MANCHESTER City’s Carabao Cup hero Claudio Bravo has been offered a move to the MLS with New York City.
Bravo, right, whose fine late save from Bjorn Engels helped City beat Aston Villa on Sunday, is out of contract this summer.
Second choice to Ederson in the Premier League and in Europe, Bravo will not be offered a new deal but is weighing up a move to the US. The departure of Bravo, 36, who joined City from Barcelona for £17million in 2016, could give chances to young City keepers Zack Steffen, 24, and Aro Muric, 21, who are on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf and Nottingham Forest respectively.