England manager Gareth Southgate has very quickly become a Phil Foden fan. And the Three Lions boss enthused about the list of attributes possessed by the 20-year-old prodigy, as he prepared to hand him his fifth England cap in tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier in Albania.
Gareth Southgate said: “He’s just a very good player, very exciting. He’s intelligent in his positioning, his skills to receive under pressure and the movement for his body to take players out of the game, his tight control. He’s got a lovely range of passing and a disguised pass.”
But the one thing that has caught Southgate’s eye is Foden’s goalscoring ability – he has 11 goals from 37 games for the Blues this season, most scored from wide positions.
Gareth Southgate said: “What has impressed me most is he has a real eye for goal and a hunger to score. From attacking midfield or a wide position it’s important players in those areas of the pitch chip in with goals.”
Phil Foden’s promotion to the senior squad was held up by Southgate’s reluctance to pick players who are not playing regularly for their club sides, but Foden’s progress at City has seen him become an England squad regular this season.
