YOUNG LIONS TOLD TO STAY WITH PRIDE

DESPITE the clamour for Phil Foden to be in Gareth Southgate’s senior squad, it was never an option for the Manchester City midfield starlet to make the step up.

Instead, Foden (below) will play for England Under-19s against Belgium in Tubize today with a very clear path already mapped out.

Incredibly, 16 of the 23-man squad for the Under-19s were involved in last year’s Under-17s World Cup success.

Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and Chelsea starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi are other young players who have been tipped to make the senior squad sooner rather than later.

But, as England Under-19s boss Keith Downing explained, it has been a very deliberate policy to keep the victorious Under-17s together.

The idea is that they form a strong bond, do not bypass the age groups, and complete their development.

Foden, 18, has played just eight minutes of Premier League football this season, Hudson-Odoi will struggle for game time, and Sancho had to go to Germany to get games.

Downing said: “The challenge to this group is to keep winning – to win a Euros after lifting the U-17 World Cup is fantastic motivation.

“Our aim is to keep developing the players and hope they take their chance whenever it comes. We know how valuable these experiences are at youth level for when players break into the senior teams.”