Boothroyd: Foden needs time to shine

PHIL FODEN will make his England Under 21 debut this week having been set the challenge of ensuring his career is remembered for more than early promise. It is 12 months since the Manchester City midfielder was captain of the Under 17 squad who won the World Cup, and since then he has been heralded as a potential mainstay of the senior team. Foden is expected to play some part in the Euro 2019 qualifiers against Andorra tomorrow and Scotland on Friday, with England needing just a point to seal a place at next summer’s tournament in Italy and San Marino. And head coach Aidy Boothroyd said: ‘Phil, along with Jadon Sancho and some of our other lads, have a lot of hype around them and that is justified because they are good players. ‘But the best time to judge players is at the end of their careers, not the beginning. ‘We all need to make sure we give Phil the space to develop into potentially a top player. Right now he just needs a little bit more time in the Under 21s. ‘Phil is at a great club with a great coach and surrounded by great team-mates. We just need him to get some great game time now.’