CITY SPECIAL 10 City starlets get call-ups for England
CITY have TEN players in the England youth squads … to United’s one.
The Blues, and Chelsea, who have dominated youth football between them in recent years, supply 22 of the 85 players called for international duty with the under-18, under-19, under-20 and under-21 squads.
Phil Foden has been fast-tracked into the England under-19 team for their opening European Championship elite round qualifiers. He joins Blues defender Ed Francis in the squad which takes on Hungary next Wednesday (1pm), Latvia on March 24 (1pm) and Macedonia on March 27 (1pm) – all in Macedonia.
City’s two other World Cup heroes, defender Joel Latibeaudiere and goalkeeper Curtis Anderson, are in the under-18 squad for friendly fixtures against Qatar, Argentina and Belarus, and they are joined by City team-mates Felix Nmecha and Ian Poveda.
Isaac Buckley-Ricketts, currently on loan at Oxford, and striker Lukas Nmecha are both in the under-20 squad which takes on Poland and Portugal.
Two more City loanees, goalkeeper Angus Gunn and forward Jack Harrison, make the under-21 squad for a friendly against Romania and a European Championships qualifier against Ukraine.
United’s sole representative in the four squads is under-21 keeper Dean Henderson, currently on loan at Shrewsbury, although regular youth players Angel Gomes and Axel Tuanzebe are both injured. AS City await this lunchtime’s Champions League draw, here’s a rundown of who they could face in the quarter-finals. THE FOOTBALL: Sevilla look to the quarter-finals as Basel did to the last-16. The same team that dumped United out of the competition were humbled by Liverpool and are only two points ahead of City’s sister club Girona in La Liga. FOR THE FANS: Sun, San Miguel and stunning architecture, although not necessarily in that order. The city is as appealing to supporters as the team will be to the players. CONNECTIONS: City beat Sevilla home and away in the 2015 Champions League group stage. Jesus Navas and Nolito returned to the club last summer. X FACTOR: This would be one of the more low-key quarter-finals, and keep City away from the rest of the competition favourites. THE FOOTBALL: Roma came through a tricky last-16 clash against Shakhtar and are a respectable third in Serie A but would clearly be underdogs against City. Having already beaten Napoli home and away, Guardiola’s men would be confident of avoiding an upset. FOR THE FANS: One of the most stunning cities in the world to walk around, although a few Blues who made the trip to Naples may not be itching to run the gauntlet with another set of fans associated with violence. CONNECTIONS: Edin Dzeko and Aleks Kolarov would both return to the Etihad, and City were unbeaten in two games with Roma in the 2014 competition. X FACTOR: The personal connections add to the interest but another tie among the less glamorous. THE FOOTBALL: This would be one of the most entertaining ties of the round if the two Premier League meetings this season are anything to go by. Liverpool’s attacking play has seen them rack up the plaudits, but Jurgen Klopp is approaching three seasons at the club without a trophy. FOR THE FANS: The only away you could do without missing a day’s work, although obviously the least exotic of the potential trips. CONNECTIONS: James Milner, somehow, has two more Champions League assists this year than any other player. Raheem Sterling is due a good performance against his former club. X FACTOR: Liverpool remain the only Premier League side to beat City in the last 11 months, and that January victory saw them touted as title contenders for next season. A Champions League tie could point to the future balance of power. THE FOOTBALL: City thought they had beaten the best team in Italy this season but the Old Lady are now in pole position to claim an incredible seventh league title in a row. They have reached two Champions League finals in the last three years and are masters at managing ties. FOR THE FANS: Turin has plenty of sights and food and drink to keep you happy for a few days and Joe Hart certainly enjoyed his time in the city, although it isn’t the cheapest. CONNECTIONS: The teams have played each other in recent years in the Champions League and UEFA Cup, and assistant coach Brian Kidd scored in a 1976 meeting. City have been recently