Jamie Carragher has insisted that Gareth Southgate should pick Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham to start together for England.
Manchester City star Foden scored a second career hat-trick on Monday night during his side’s 3-1 victory over Brentford in the Premier League.
The England international has enjoyed a stellar campaign for Pep Guardiola’s side and, on Monday night, showcased his talents through the middle.
It was a move that received praised during post-match analysis and now Sky Sports pundit Carragher has called on Southgate to do the same for England.
Speaking after the game, Carragher said: ‘It’s really interesting what he said about playing more centrally. In terms of natural-born talent in the England squad, you think Jude Bellingham is perhaps the only one who can go up against him.
‘What Bellingham has done in the last 18 months is almost make the England team his own where the team is going to be built around him. I thought that was going to be Phil Foden two or three years ago. It hasn’t quite happened.
‘When he plays for City, you’re never quite sure if he’s going to be playing on the right, on the left or central. I don’t think that’s helped him’.
Foden has typically played a wide role for Guardiola however has looked revitalised while playing down the middle of the pitch.
Carragher continued: ‘I think it is a bit of a conundrum for the England manager. If Bellingham is at No 10, does that mean Foden has to be on the left with Bukayo Saka on the right? The fact he’s had to move positions so often has probably hindered him.
‘I thought when David Silva moved on, it would be his natural next step to play more centrally as a left-footed but it didn’t happen. It feels Pep Guardiola puts a lot on playing centrally and thought he could learn the game better playing wider.
‘For England, there is no reason why he can’t play in that position. I think criticism of Gareth Southgate being too defensive can be a little over the top, but this would be a bold move, and why not when you’ve got players of that quality. In Spain, he and Bellingham would play as two No 8s.’
Foden grabbed his first goal of the evening just before the stroke of half-time, after capitalising on a defensive mistake to strike from close range.
He doubled his tally in the second-half after stooping low and diverting his header into the back of the net with brilliant technique.
The 23-year-old got his final goal of the evening after collecting the ball on the edge of the Brentford box, driving through the defence and sliding the ball into the goal.
It was his second career hat-trick, with his first coming against local rivals Man United during City’s 6-3 win back in 2022.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
