FODEN TO GET HIS THREE LIONS REWARD

PHIL FODEN will celebrate his first senior England call-up today after doing precisely what Gareth Southgate asked – proving it on the pitch.

Back in June when Euro 2020 should have started, the England manager hinted that the Three Lions might actually be stronger for the delay, with youngsters such as Foden (above) emerging through the ranks.

But only if those kids continue to develop in the Premier League.

England last played an international 11 months ago, a 4-0 win in Kosovo with a place in the European Championship finals already assured.

Then the countdown to a largely home-based tournament was ticking much louder and Southgate (right, below) was looking at his up-andcoming talents with an eye to this summer.

Nick Pope, Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-Odoi all started.

Chelsea pair Fikayo Timori and Mason Mount came off the bench with Mount scoring.

Foden, though, has been kept under wraps in junior England sides.

Southgate has used his lack of game time in the stellar Manchester City line-up as the reason to delay his introduction to the senior ranks.

It is now 292 days until England’s first game next summer in the Euros against Croatia.

And the sanitised environment of behindclosed-doors matches against Iceland and Denmark next month could be the perfect nursery ground for such a long-awaited talent.

Because having forced his way into the City line-up for similar spectator-free games – a dozen appearances during lockdown at the end of the season – Foden has shown he can thrive in that environment.

The 20-year-old started – and starred – in City’s most impressive winning performances of Project Restart against Liverpool and Real Madrid.

Mason Greenwood (below, top) is another pressing for a place.

His five goals since the restart equalled the amount he scored in all the rest of the season.

But the Manchester United striker may have to wait until October.

The intention is for the England squad to consist of around 25 players to allow for injuries.

And Southgate would prefer to rely on players already in the bubble of St George’s Park rather than suddenly be forced to call up players from their final days of holiday or disrupt their pre-season before the start of the new Premier League campaign on September 12.

However, with an unprecedented triple header to follow, the October get-together is likely to be a larger affair.

Up to 30 players can expect to be rotated through the fixtures against Wales, Belgium and Denmark at Wembley.

Of course, the younger players will need experienced ones to help nurture them through.

And with Jordan Henderson likely to miss out through injury, Southgate may lean on Foden’s City team-mate Kyle Walker to bolster the leadership group within the squad.

The 30-year-old also impressed during the run-in and could end a 15-month drought since his last international cap.