Former Manchester City defender issues “100 per cent” verdict on Phil Foden’s England World Cup place | OneFootball

Wayne Bridge – the former Manchester City and England international – has insisted he would consider Phil Foden for a place in the Three Lions’ squad this summer, despite his performance struggles this season.

Foden’s 2025/26 season to date has been one seen as a struggle for consistency and playing time at Manchester City, finding himself increasingly peripheral despite an encouraging run of performances prior to the turn of the year.

An early-season burst of form and notable goals against the likes of Manchester United and Leeds was then followed up by Foden starting just one of Manchester City’s last eight games, leading to some extremely tenuous paper talk of a potential move to seek minutes.

As for the national team, Thomas Tuchel handed him a rare start in the 1-1 friendly draw against Uruguay, although Foden’s performance was criticised as hesitant before his night ended following a horror tackle by Ronald Araújo.

With an ankle issue now clouding his immediate fitness and other names pushing to emerge ahead in the pecking order, Phil Foden faces a race against time to prove he can secure his spot in the 2026 World Cup squad.

What has Wayne Bridge said about Foden’s England place?

Speaking as part of a new conversation with 10bet, former Manchester City and England defender Wayne Bridge piled on the praise for Foden, explaining why the Etihad Stadium’s No.47 should be part of Thomas Tuchel’s squad this summer.

“Foden hasn’t been playing much, and when you look at the squad and players like Savinho coming in and hitting the ground running, it is a little bit worrying. It would be stupid to say it isn’t. But he’s such a fantastic player. He’s one of those players where, when you watch him live, you just think ‘wow’. There’s something different about him,” said Bridge.

“He reminds me a little bit of David Silva. When you watched Silva live you just knew how good he was — the way he moved the ball, the way he manipulated it, the touches he’d take away from players,” he continued.

Do England really need Foden this summer?

Referring directly to Foden and his international future, Wayne Bridge said, “England need him back playing because he’s such a dangerous, quality player. Would I take Foden and Palmer to the World Cup? I would – 100 per cent.

“When I look at Cole Palmer and Phil Foden, they’re two players who, creativity-wise, can do so much for England. I’m like the fans. You’re in the pub watching it and saying things like, ‘Oh, we should do this,’ or ‘The manager should do that.’ But Foden is one of those players who can do something special. It’s just about getting the team and the balance right.

“Look at Cole Palmer – he wasn’t starting but he was coming on for the last 20 minutes, changing games and winning games for England. You start to think maybe he should just start.

“But it’s about getting the team right because when I look back to when I was playing, you had Stevie G [Steven Gerrard], Scholesy [Paul Scholes], [Frank] Lampard, Becks [David Beckham] — they were all starting but maybe not always in the positions they should have been playing.

“It’s about getting the balance of the team right, and that’s down to the manager. But if you can get Phil Foden playing well and Cole Palmer playing well, I think they’re two massively important players for England.”

Where can Foden aim to impress for Man City ahead of the World Cup?

With Manchester City set to face a gauntlet of season-defining fixtures in April – including a Premier League clash against the current leaders Arsenal on April 19 and an FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool on April 4 – Foden must capitalise on every minute to reclaim his starting spot from the surging Nico O’Reilly and Antoine Semenyo.

As Thomas Tuchel finalises his squad ahead of the World Cup submission deadline, Phil Foden’s ability to rediscover his goal-scoring form during this congested stretch, which also includes tough trips to Chelsea and Burnley, will be the ultimate factor in whether he travels as a cornerstone of the England attack.