I CAN PHIL MY BOOTS LIKE HARRY

BATTLE: Foden holds off Liverpool’s Marko Grujic PHIL FODEN wants to emulate Harry Maguire’s meteoric rise with England and make it to the next World Cup.

Leicester’s Maguire famously went from supporting England at Euro 2016 to starring for the Three Lions at the World Cup in Russia.

Foden watched England’s opening victory against Tunisia with some of his Under-17 World Cup-winning team-mates and the highly-rated Manchester City midfielder, 18, says the experience makes him determined to head to Qatar late in 2022.

Foden will be 22 when the tournament is held and may have blossomed into the playmaker that England are craving.

“I was there a week,” he said. “I watched the first game and it was good.

“Hopefully that could be me in four years and it was important to get that feel and experience.

“It gives me confidence when I read people saying I could go to the next World Cup. I’m going to push for it and hopefully I can be there.”

Foden is already a World Cup winner and says last October’s triumph in India, when he was player of the tournament, was great for his development.

He added: “If you do go to a World Cup, you’ll be ready for it. You’ll know what to do.”

City boss Pep Guardiola handed Foden his debut aged 17 years and 177 days against Feyenoord in November and he ended the season with Premier League and Carabao Cup winners’ medals. Foden revealed he was also part of City’s first Premier League title success in 2012 – when he was a ballboy at the Etihad.

He said: “I remember being at the Manchester United game and Vinny [Kompany] won it with a header. It was just a mad atmosphere.

“I remember sitting at the opposite end. I’ve had a few instances like that where I’ve fallen over the hoardings when I’ve tried to jump over them.”

Foden was in the team that lost 2-1 to Liverpool on Wednesday night in New Jersey and now hopes to build on his 10 senior appearances.

He is doing extra gym sessions to bulk up and says Guardiola is always offering him advice.

“He tells me that I’m young and still learning,” he said. “It’s great that he believes in me.

“I want to try and get as many minutes as I can next season.”