Man City star Phil Foden is finally getting what he wants - 'we talked already'

Phil Foden is back in the England squad and his fine form for Manchester City this season and he is now getting the role he wants as well.

Not only is Phil Foden finally back in the England squad, but the Manchester City playmaker celebrated his recall by being told he could now challenge for the role he has always wanted for the Three Lions.

Foden's City renaissance has been one of the stories of the season and his classy double against Borussia Dortmund in midweek was another reminder of what a supreme footballer he is when at his very best.

Those goals made an England recall feel inevitable after he was one of several big names overlooked in October. Foden will now get the chance to press his claim for a World Cup berth in the dead rubber qualifying fixtures against Serbia and Albania.

Foden will also get an opportunity in the middle of the pitch rather than out wide. There is competition there for England, but speaking after naming his squad, Thomas Tuchel seemed to suggest Foden's days of being used as a winger for his country were now over.

“I think Phil [Foden] where he plays now lately for Man City was where I see him the strongest. I think he’s close to the opponent’s box, like a mix between a nine and a ten," he said.

"For me, Phil scores and assists more from the 18-yard-box, where he scored against Dortmund; he’s on the half turn, he assists, he’s in the pockets. I think the main thing with Phil is that he gets a role in the central part of the pitch.

"I don’t see him as a winger at the moment and maybe not anymore. He should have a central role; I think that brings out his strengths the most.

"We talked about this already with him. He will contribute as a nine-and-a-half, ten-and-a-half-ish position - very fluid. But in the middle of the pitch, to be close to the box and be able to assist and score like he did against Dortmund.”

His goals against the Bundesliga side demonstrated his danger centrally, picking up the ball between the lines and showcasing his quality to make two difficult finishes look supremely easy.

Virtually all of Foden's football for City this season has come in a central area, playing just off Erling Haaland as the relationship between the pair flickers back into life. It is telling that when Foden plays alongside Bernardo Silva, it is now almost always Silva who occupies the slot on the right.

Foden has become a more central cog for City since becoming the driving force in the 2023/24 title-winning season, when he was the best player in the Premier League and helped the Blues overcome Kevin De Bruyne's lengthy injury absences.

However, securing that role for England will be challenging. There is competition to play as a No. 10 and Foden has tended to spend major tournaments stuck out on the flank. In Euro 2024, he was mostly on the left wing as Gareth Southgate tried to squeeze as many of his attacking talents onto the pitch as possible.

Tuchel will have to try and get the balance right. He sees Jude Bellingham as a No. 10 as well, but Morgan Rogers is the man in possession of that shirt, having been excellent in recent internationals.

Foden won't find it easy to force his way in, but he will back himself to make more of an impression in the middle than stuck out on the wing.

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