Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden is expecting his former teammate Cole Palmer to light up the European Championships if he is given an opportunity by England boss Gareth Southgate.
The winger was an unused substitute in the Three Lions’ 1-0 win over Serbia at the weekend but Foden says Palmer will have a “big” impact at the tournament when he gets some minutes on the pitch:
“I’ve been training with them for many years at City. I know his talent and how good he is. He can only get better.”
“He’s someone that I can see can have a big effect on the tournament when he gets his opportunity so looking forward to it.”
City may regret allowing Palmer to leave
After the Premier League champions sold the 22-year-old to Chelsea for £42.5m last summer, he has gone on to make a name for himself at Stamford Bridge.
In all competitions last season, Palmer racked up 25 goals and provided 15 assists for the Blues; an impressive return that led to him being called up for the Euros alongside Foden. Some City supporters still question why manager Pep Guardiola let the player go.
Foden needs to up his game at international level
Despite having an outstanding campaign himself for the Cityzens, Foden has some work to do to win over his critics who have questioned his recent performances for the Three Lions.
Pundit Ian Wright described the 24-year-old’s display against Serbia as “anonymous”, while even former City player Micah Richards commented that it was “sad” to see Foden struggling to replicate his club form for his country.
The winger will be looking to silence the doubters by putting in a much-improved performance when England take on Denmark in their second group game on Thursday evening.