Wayne Rooney has suggested that Phil Foden’s appearance in the Carabao Cup final was akin to a ‘charity’ substitution. The former England captain made the comments following Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium.
Foden’s Limited Game Time
Foden came off the bench in the 90th minute, replacing Rayan Cherki. However, Rooney questioned why Foden is not getting more minutes for City. He noted that Cherki, Antoine Semenyo and Savinho have all been preferred to Foden in recent matches.
The 25-year-old has only started four of City’s past 13 matches in all competitions. Foden has not scored in his past 20 appearances, a stark contrast to his form earlier in the season when he scored six goals in five games dating back to 14 December.
Rooney’s Reaction to the Substitution
Speaking on the BBC’s Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney said he felt sorry for Foden. “I felt sad for him but not sad because he is coming on in a cup final,” Rooney clarified.
Rooney highlighted the contrast between Foden’s status and that of a less experienced player. “If that was Max Dowman coming on at the end, you would think good experience. But to see Phil Foden coming on in a cup final, it felt like a charity sub to get him on the pitch.”
Foden’s Perspective
Foden acknowledged the challenges he faces. “Football sometimes is not straightforward,” he said after the victory over Arsenal. “There are ups and downs and sometimes you can’t be the best version of yourself and that’s the way it is.
He added, “It’s just about how you pick yourself back up. I’m still keeping my head down, trying to train as well as I can every day. Hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper and hopefully I can get more minutes and be back to where I was at the start of the season.”
Foden has collected 18 trophies since breaking through into the first-team as a teenager.
World Cup Doubts
Foden has been called up to the expanded England squad for the forthcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. Question marks remain as to whether he will make the cut for this summer’s World Cup. He also failed to make it off the bench in last week’s Champions League last-16 second leg tie against Real Madrid, with City suffering a 5-1 loss on aggregate.
Rooney said, “I don’t know what has happened, he is a top player. It feels strange he can’t get anywhere near the team. It feels like something has gone on there.”
Rooney added, “Firstly he will be pleased they won the cup but from a selfish point of view, he would have wanted to be out there and having an influence. That will be a tough one for him.”