Phil Foden has now amassed an impressive 18 trophies since his debut as a teenager and has recently been named in England’s expanded squad for upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
However, his inclusion in this summer’s World Cup squad remains uncertain, especially after he was an unused substitute in last week’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid, a match City lost 5-1 on aggregate.
Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, the former Manchester United star expressed his feelings, stating: “I felt sad for him, but not because he was featuring in a cup final.”
Rooney elaborated, “Just days earlier, he hadn’t even stepped onto the pitch. If it were a young talent like Max Dowman coming on at the end, it would be considered valuable experience. But to see Phil Foden introduced in a cup final felt more like a ceremonial substitution to simply get him some game time.”
“I’m unsure what has transpired; he is undeniably a top-tier player. It’s perplexing that he struggles to get near the starting lineup. It suggests that something behind the scenes might have occurred,” Rooney added.
He continued: “I believed Foden was in excellent form, yet suddenly, he’s receiving no minutes. While he’ll naturally be pleased with the team’s cup victory, from a personal standpoint, he would have undoubtedly wanted to be out there, making a significant impact.”
“That will undoubtedly be a challenging situation for him to navigate,” Rooney concluded.