Wayne Rooney has lavished praise on Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden and believes the ‘level headed’ youngster has been ‘one of the best players in the league this season’.
Foden has starred for the league leaders this season and produced an exceptional display in last weekend’s 4-1 thrashing of Liverpool, making two goals and scoring a superb individual effort in the latest reminder of his precocious talent.
The 20-year-old has now scored 10 goals in all competitions this season and is the second-youngest player – after Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland – to achieve the feat across Europe’s top five leagues and Foden’s performances have seen him backed to play a key role for England at this summer’s European Championships.
Rooney burst onto the scene with England as a teenager and believes the Manchester City youngster can ‘bring something different’ to the national team, praising Pep Guardiola’s management of the academy graduate and outlining his hope Foden can take his current form onto the international stage.
“I think [my advice] for Phil Foden is to keep doing what he’s doing,” Rooney told Goal.
“I think he has been one of the best players in the league this season. Guardiola has managed him really well.
“I think there’s a few players, not just him, [such as] Jack Grealish who bring something different to the national team. They have to be in the squad for the Euros and arguably have to play. They are that good.
“He’s scoring, he’s assisting and hopefully he can carry that form on with the national team.”
Foden has now started seven of Manchester City’s past eight league fixtures and will be hoping to maintain his place in the side when the Premier League leaders host Tottenham tomorrow evening.
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