Lions need to give Phil time
PHIL FODEN will get his first senior England call-up this week after doing exactly what Gareth Southgate asked – proving it on the pitch.
On the day that Euro 2020 should have started in June, the England manager hinted the Three Lions might actually be stronger for the delay, with all the youngsters coming through the ranks.
But only if those kids continue to develop in their respective first teams, he added.
It is 11 months since England last played an international, a straightforward 4-0 win in Kosovo with a place in the European Championship finals already assured.
Nick Pope, Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-odoi all started, with Chelsea pair Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount coming off the bench.
Foden (inset) had been kept under wraps in the junior England sides, with Southgate using his lack of game time in the stellar Manchester City line-up as the reason.
It is now 292 days until England’s first game next summer in the Euros against Croatia and the behind-closed-doors internationals against Iceland and Denmark next month could be the perfect nursery ground.
Because having forced his way into the City line-up for similar spectator-free games – a dozen appearances during the lockdown period at the end of the season – Foden has shown he can thrive.
The 20-year-old starred in City’s best performances of Project Restart against Liverpool and Real Madrid.
He is not the only one. Mason Greenwood is another who is pressing.
But when Southgate announces his squad at 2pm today, the Manchester United striker may find he has to wait until October.
The intention is for the
England squad to consist of around 25 players.
And Southgate would prefer to rely on players already in the bubble of St George’s Park.
However, with an unprecedented tripleheader to follow, the October get-together is likely to be a larger affair, with up to 30 players rotated against Wales, Belgium and Denmark at Wembley.
With Jordan Henderson likely to miss out through injury, Southgate may lean on another Manchester City player, Kyle Walker, 30, to lend his experience.