Four Four Two - UK (2021-12)

44 December 2021 FourFourTwo

semi-finals. “Brazil had top players but he
was fearless,” says Eyoma. “Then the final
against Spain was his best game, with the
way he was just beating players. I knew he
was a top player, but he really showed his
quality in that final.”
Keeper Anderson agrees. “That was just
a big-time player in a big-time game,” he
says, remembering how Foden orchestrated
England’s equaliser, then scored twice
himself. “At that time, Jadon Sancho had
just moved to Dortmund, so everyone knew
who he was, but maybe didn’t really know
Phil. That tournament was the moment. If
people didn’t know who he was before that,
everyone knew him afterwards.
“It kick-started his career at City. The
whole academy staff knew how good he
was from 12 or 13, but he went clear of the
rest after that World Cup. He was already on
Pep Guardiola’s radar, but straight after the
World Cup was when the club thought he
was ready to become a first-team player.”
By September 2020, Foden had made 74
appearances for City when Gareth Southgate
gave him a senior England debut.
“That World Cup experience was a big
thing for all of us, playing under pressure at
a young age, and I’m not surprised he’s done
well since then,” says Eyoma, now of Lincoln.
“I look at him and it motivates me to push up
the leagues and get to Premier League level.”
As it turned out, though, Foden’s England
senior debut in Iceland wouldn’t be the

happy experience he’d dreamed of – he and

Mason Greenwood were sent home, after

the pair broke COVID protocols by inviting

girls back to their room.

It was the first big setback of Foden’s

career, but it didn’t delay his progress for

long. Left out of the squad a month later, his

performances at club level ensured he forced

his way back in for the Three Lions’ November

matches, when he scored twice in the reverse

fixture against Iceland.

By early February, he delivered a stunning

goal in a scintillating performance for City as

they beat Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield, putting

Guardiola’s side on course for the Premier

League title. In October, he repeated his

Anfield trick – his systematic torture of

auxiliary right-back James Milner resembled

a lion dismembering an injured gazelle.

“When he’s under pressure in a big game,

he loves that kind of feeling,” says Eyoma.

Anderson was equally impressed by Foden’s

performance in a recent, lower-profile game.

“I’m at Wycombe now, and we played City

in the Carabao Cup in September,” explains

the goalkeeper, who’s also had a loan spell

at Eastbourne Borough this season. “It was

his first 90 minutes back after injury, and

those are the games when you can really

appreciate how much he loves football,

because he was the best player by an

absolute mile. He scored, he assisted, I don’t

think he gave the ball away. When he can

still be that big-time player and keep his

SUBS: Josef Bursik (Stoke), Billy Crellin (Fleetwood),

Lewis Gibson (Sheffield Wednesday, on loan from Everton),

TJ Eyoma (Lincoln), Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace, on loan

from Chelsea), Nya Kirby (Crystal Palace), Emile Smith Rowe

(Arsenal), Angel Gomes (Lille), Danny Loader (Porto)

STEVEN

SESSEGNON

Fulham

JOEL

LATIBEAUDIERE

Swansea

PHIL

FODEN

Man City

GEORGE

McEACHRAN

Chelsea

MARC

GUEHI

Crystal Palace

MORGAN

GIBBS-WHITE

Sheff Utd

(on loan

from Wolves)

CURTIS

ANDERSON

Wycombe

RHIAN

BREWSTER

Sheff Utd

TASHAN

OAKLEY-BOOTHE

Stoke

JONATHAN

PANZO

Dijon

CALLUM

HUDSON-ODOI

Chelsea

WHERE ARE THEY nOW?

Half of England’s squad from the 2017 Under-17 World Cup

Final are now in the EFL – three have moved abroad...

22 FOR

2022