England’s Phil Foden backed to be the new Paul Gascoigne

Peter Shilton has urged Phil Foden to put his Champions League disappointment behind him by emulating Paul Gascoigne at a major tournament for England.
Tipped to shine: Manchester City's Phil Foden during the UEFA Champions League final match against Chelsea.Tipped to shine: Manchester City's Phil Foden during the UEFA Champions League final match against Chelsea.
Tipped to shine: Manchester City's Phil Foden during the UEFA Champions League final match against Chelsea.

Shilton, England’s most-capped player with 125 appearances, believes Manchester City midfielder Foden has the ability to take Euro 2020 by storm in the same way Gascoigne did at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

“It’s difficult to compare players, but certainly in major tournaments you do get a young player coming through who takes a grip of it,” said Shilton.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I think Foden’s got the ability. You’ve got to have a lot more than just ability, you need the character to influence the team.

“Gazza had that. It didn’t faze him being in a big-match situation. Foden’s had a limited amount of experience with Man City and England but when he gets his chance in a major tournament it’s there for him to go and grab it.

“He certainly has got ability and there is something special about him.”

Foden, 21, described by City chief Pep Guardiola as ‘the most talented player I have ever seen’, failed to shine in the Champions League final defeat to Chelsea at Estadio do Dragao in Porto.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Shilton does not think England manager Gareth Southgate will be too concerned.

“Gareth is experienced enough to know a player’s ability and every game is different,” said Shilton. “It’s sometimes just that one bit of magic that can open the door, but unfortunately for Man City he didn’t show that in the final.”

Gazza was 23 when he established himself as one of the world’s best players during Italia 90 and Shilton added: “Gazza was exceptional. No matter what the circumstance. He had that confidence and that cockiness, he just ran the show. So you need that arrogance, a bit of arrogance, but it’s there for Foden to seize if he gets his chance.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.