MY ACCOUNT
England and Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has revealed Frank Lampard was his boyhood World Cup hero.
Ex-Chelsea and Three Lions skipper Lampard player 106 times for his country, netting 29 goals and appearing in the global showpiece in 2006, 2010 and 2014.
Although the box-to-box talisman was unable to drive his team to glory on the international stage, he inspired many, including 22-year-old Foden.
Arguably Lampard’s most memorable moment in an England shirt came at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, when his long-range strike when 2-1 down against Germany appeared to cross the line.
But the goal did not stand, Fabio Capello’s men went on to lose 4-1 and the Three Lions’ World Cup dreams were dashed at the last-16 stage.
Foden reflects: “It obviously crossed the line! I believe that if that went in then we would’ve won the game. It was a shame they didn’t count the goal.
“During that tournament [Frank] Lampard really stood out to me.
“I loved him a lot growing up. I used to play in midfield when I was younger, and he used to arrive late in the box and score a lot of goals.
“I tried to copy that, and I tried to practice that whenever I could.
“I used to copy [Lionel] Messi as well – I love him. The way he dribbles. For me, he is the greatest ever player.”
Three Lions roaring
Foden made his World Cup debut in Monday’s 6-2 victory against Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Unlike his idol Messi, who was unable to prevent Argentina slipping to a shock 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Foden and his team-mates were in stunning form in their tournament opener.
And now the City ace is eager to continue the positive start, as Gareth Southgate’s side attempt to go further than their run to the semi-final stage in 2018.
Foden added: “I’m confident and I believe in us. We have been close in other tournaments, and we can build on that.
“I’m just excited to play in the World Cup and will try to make the most of it.
“It’s not fully sank in that I’m playing at a World Cup but I’m sure I’ll look back and realise what an honour it is in years to come.
“It’s always been my dream to play at a World Cup and I always believed in my ability and just wanted to keep getting better.”
England’s next test comes against USA on Friday night, while fellow Group B rivals Wales and Iran face-off earlier in the day.
Phil Foden is working with McDonald’s to help raise funds for FareShare so they can redistribute over a million meals this winter. His World Cup memories will be printed on limited edition McDelivery Bags throughout the tournament.
