Gray puzzled by Southgate’s snub for starlet Foden
FORMER England international Mickey Gray has questioned why City midfielder Phil Foden was overlooked for Gareth Southgate’s latest squad.
The Three Lions begin their qualification campaign for the 2020 European Championships this week with clashes with the Czech Republic and Montenegro, in the final international break of the season.
Southgate assembles his squad for the first time since November and a number of new names have been given an opportunity, including West Ham’s Declan Rice and Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi, but Gray believes Southgate may have missed a trick.
Foden, still just 18, has accumulated 22 appearances across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s side this season and has scored six goals.
In comparison, Hudson-Odoi has managed 18 appearances this season, though he has played more minutes after opportunities in the Europa League, and Gray feels that snubbing Foden is an oversight.
“I think he’s got incredible ability but if you’re going to give people like Hudson-Odoi an opportunity to be in that England squad, then I think Phil Foden is ready,” he said.
“Gareth Southgate is obviously known for giving these youngsters the opportunity to be in the England squad and I don’t think any of them have let anybody down.
“Their ability is there for anybody to see.
“Yes, the Premier League is global now so we’re seeing these players, whether it’s in Europe or whether it is in the Premier League, given an opportunity for 10 or 15 minutes at the end of the game but I’ve always said if these players are good enough, it doesn’t matter what age they are.
“I think that’s the case with someone like Callum Hudson-Odoi, he’s got incredible ability, he’s got so much confidence and going into these two games, Gareth’s just said ‘you know what, we’ve had people pull out of this squad, he is good enough and I want to put him in that squad.’
“I just wish a few of the younger players were given the opportunity and the one name that springs to mind is Phil Foden.
“People say he hasn’t played too much minutes for Manchester City, I don’t care about that anymore.
“We’re not in my era where you had to be seen to be playing two or three seasons in the Premier League for somebody to go ‘he’s actually now good enough’. “These young guys are ready.” Hudson-Odoi earned his chance after United full-back Luke Shaw became the latest to withdraw from Southgate’s squad due to injury and many fans on social media were also bemused by the fact Foden was overlooked.