Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has urged Phil Foden to “dominate” his compatriots to become one of England’s best players. Ferdinand likened Foden’s situation to that of Man Utd flop Juan Sebastian Veron, who also struggled to assert himself on the pitch.
Phil Foden Cut A Frustrating Figure In England’s Win Over Serbia In EURO 2024
Manchester City ace Foden, who won the 2023-24 Premier League Player of the Season award, looked like a shadow of his brilliant self in England’s 1-0 victory over Serbia in their first game of UEFA EURO 2024. Deployed on the left flank, Foden found himself isolated at times, struggling to get on the ball. He also rarely made inroads into the Serbian box, whereas the likes of Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka penetrated the area with ease.
Over the course of the game, Foden failed to dispatch even a single shot, let alone land one on target. He also had just one touch inside the opposition box and created a single chance for his teammates.
Ferdinand Urges Foden To Be More Vocal, Likens Him To Veron
On his FIVE podcast, ex-England international Ferdinand discussed why Foden was struggling for England despite playing world-class soccer for Manchester City. The former center-back claimed that the 24-year-old was was not vocal enough, which allowed the likes of Bellingham to take the spotlight away from him. Ferdinand added that the same happened to Veron, who surrendered control to Roy Keane and eventually left United after making just 51 Premier League appearances.
Ferdinand said (via Manchester Evening News):
“Me, Micah [Richards] and Cesc [Fabregas] done that game [for BBC ] the other day and Micah was saying how he felt sorry for Phil and about how [Gareth] Southgate’s not getting the best out of him. And then, to be fair, Cesc just put him away, just said, ‘listen, no, no, no, it’s down to Foden’. Foden’s got to go out there and you’re talking about body language, being demanding and authoritative with the way that you want the ball.
“Jude [Bellingham] has got that in spades and I think if we’re going to see the best out of Phil Foden, and I agree with Cesc, he’s got to really go out there and try and dominate the pitch and dominate some of his teammates to give him the ball and be the first one to shout.”
Drawing likenesses with Veron’s situation at United, Ferdinand added:
“But I’ve seen this before at Man United. We had Roy Keane who demanded the ball in the middle of the pitch. We signed a superstar in Juan Sebastian Veron.
“He was a playmaker that wanted to get the ball off all of the players and that’s how he got his rhythm and play. But Roy Keane dominated because he was more animated, the characteristics that he had came out and was much more dominant.”
He concluded by adding:
“He was there before and dominated that area. And Veron folded really and had to be sold and didn’t really become a success at Man United. But he was a fantastically talented player and I hope Phil doesn’t fall like that.”
Foden has played 35 matches for England in all competitions, scoring just four times and providing eight assists. It will be interesting to see if he can add to his tally in England’s second game in EURO 2024 against Denmark on Thursday (June 20).
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