- Roy Keane praised Phil Foden on Sunday after the City striker’s brace
- Foden scored two goals in the Manchester derby and earned all three points for his side
- Is Bruno Fernandes good enough to be on the bench at Manchester City? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Roy Keane has insisted Man City star Phil Foden ‘must’ start for England at this summer’s European Championship after his performance in the Manchester derby.
Foden scored a goal in the second half of City’s clash with rivals United on Sunday, turning the match on its head and helping the home side to a 3-1 victory at the Etihad.
The forward opened his account for the day with a stunning long-range strike to draw his side level – following Marcus Rashford’s opener – before finding the back of the net again in the 80th minute.
Afterwards, former Red Devil Roy Keane was full of praise for the striker and said he should be part of Gareth Southgate’s plans.
Keane told Sky Sports: ‘I won’t be too harsh on United today because City were brilliant, they showed why they are champions. City discover all your shortcomings.
Phil Foden scored a brace in Man City’s 3-1 win over Man United on Sunday evening
After the match, former United captain Roy Keane was full of praise for the Man City striker
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‘Foden resigned. Great, brilliant player. City played with United. When you play City, there is no hiding place.
‘There is great competition in the England squad and Gareth (Southgate) is very lucky, but Foden has to be in the starting XI.
“As brilliant as he was going forward today, the other parts of the game, his running back and his work for the team. For me, this boy is an absolute team player. He needs to be in that England team.’
Foden’s teammate, Kyle Walker, also showered his compatriot with praise and revealed the reasons behind the striker’s celebrations.
Speaking to Sky Sports: ‘This season Phil has been nothing short of first class. That is the standard he sets for himself. That is the standard that the manager sets for him. He has to keep that up now.
‘We call Phil the sniper because he likes to shoot. When he comes in with his left foot you know he has the quality and composure to pick his spot. He scored his goals fantastically well.
After the match, Foden boss Pep Guardiola spoke about the striker’s brace that day. He said: ‘It’s the number of games he plays.
‘He was always a talented player, but now he is more mature and understands the game better, especially defensively.
Foden scored a long-range try before sliding a neat finish into the back of the net late on
Keane insisted Foden ‘must be part’ of Gareth Southgate’s England plans for the summer
‘He can play in the middle and on the right, create moments and cut inside, play on the left and score from the left. What can I say? He is the best player in the Premier League at the moment because of the amount of things he does. Unbelievable.’
On the day, Marcus Rashford opened the scoring with a huge long-range effort in the opening eight minutes of the match.
However, Foden struck twice in the second half – before Erling Haaland added a late third – to ensure all three points went to the home side.
The first effort was a long range strike that sailed into the top corner, while his second was a neat, well-taken strike that settled into the back of the net.
