Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Stephen Killen & Liam Wood & Stephen Killen

Pundits wax lyrical over Phil Foden position change and Man City display vs Club Brugge

His name is Foden, Phil Foden.

Pep Guardiola and Gareth Southgate have given the England starlet a 'license to roam' since his return from injury and that is, ultimately, paying dividends for Manchester City and the Three Lions.

That's the verdict from BT Sport pundits Peter Crouch and former City player Joleon Lescott.

Starting in a central position against Belgian opponents Club Brugge, the 21-year-old ignited that European outing and laid on an eye-catching assist for Joao Cancelo.

Cancelo opened the scoring for City in Group A this afternoon as later goals from Riyad Mahrez (two), Kyle Walker and Cole Palmer and sealed Guardiola's team a 5-1 win in Belgium.

But the initial tone was set by Foden, according to two hugely-impressed pundits in the BT Sport studio.

Crouch said: "In that role, deep, playing those types of passes he's fantastic. It's the desire as well, it's the deep areas I love him in, the ability to create. It's been a masterclass really."

How good will Foden become for City and England? Have your say in the comments section below.

Lescott added: "We've seen it for England a few weeks ago, that pass [to Cancelo]. He's been given the license to roam. The ability to drive past players. He's always trying to drive forward and cause problems for the defence - it was an exceptional first half from Phil."

Having missed out on the Euro 2020 showpiece through injury, the City graduate returned to the England squad during the October international break - playing both matches in central midfield at the expense of Liverpool star Jordan Henderson.

Sign up to our City newsletter so you never miss an update from the Etihad Stadium this s eason.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.