Phil Foden has been in sensational form for Manchester City this season, while Jack Grealish has inspired Aston Villa to ninth in the Premier League table; England all-time top goalscorer Wayne Rooney insists Gareth Southgate must take both to the European Championships
Friday 12 February 2021 12:37, UK
Wayne Rooney wants both Phil Foden and Jack Grealish to be a part of England's squad for the European Championships this summer.
Foden led the City charge at Anfield last weekend, with a stunning goal putting the seal on a 4-1 victory for his side, as he continues to become a prominent part of Pep Guardiola's team.
Grealish is another who has got even better this season, with the Aston Villa captain inspiring his side to ninth in the Premier League table, having made 10 assists already.
His form, as well as Foden's, has lead England's all-time top goalscorer Rooney to believe Southgate needs to find a way to accommodate both these talents or see them go to waste.
"I think Phil Foden has been one of the best players in the league this season," Rooney said. "I think Guardiola has managed him really well.
"I have spoken to him a couple of times and you can see that he is a level-headed boy. He is entertaining to watch. He is scoring and assisting and hopefully he can carry that form on for the national team.
"There is not just him. I think Jack Grealish brings something different for the national team. They have to be in the squad for the Euros and arguably have to play because they are that good."
Gary Neville has called Foden "exceptional" and says he can help "light up" Euro 2020 for England - but where does the livewire best fit into Gareth Southgate's XI?
Foden made two and scored another in a sensational man-of-the-match performance as City blew away Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield on Sunday night.
That made him the second-youngest player across Europe's top five leagues to have reached 10 goals in all competitions by now, behind only Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland, and he has started seven of City's last eight Premier League games.
Neville told The Gary Neville Podcast just how highly he rates the 20-year-old, who he likened to both David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne, and highlighted why the club has made sure it has finally seen an alumni from its renowned academy become a first-team regular.
He said: "I remember Brian Kidd (City's assistant) saying to me about 18 months ago, 'If Foden doesn't make it as a football player, we might as well pack it in'. You watch him here, we've seen glimpses in the last couple of years, but in this last month or two, it looks serious; this performance, this consistency. And it's consistency that young players have to produce week in, week out.
"Watching Phil Foden, it's breathtaking watching players like that. I love watching brilliant players, you think of David Silva for Manchester City or Kevin De Bruyne. Every time you come and watch them, you just think, wow, what a player."
