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Phil Foden & Dean Henderson in Line to Receive First England Caps in Upcoming Friendlies

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden and Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who is currently on loan at Sheffield United, are set to be included in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Italy and Denmark.

19-year-old Foden has made 25 appearances in all competitions for Pep Guardiola's side this campaign, but only ten of these have been starts. However, whenever the youngster has been given the opportunity, he has impressed. In fact, in his ten starts in 2019/20, he has scored twice and provided seven assists. 

As for Henderson, he has excelled on loan at Sheffield United. The 22-year-old has been a key figure for the Blades this term, keeping nine clean sheets so far. 

Dean Henderson

Both players may be young and inexperienced on the international scene, but their performances seemingly haven't gone unnoticed. ​The Telegraph report that ​Foden is 'expected' to receive his first senior England call-up when Southgate names his squad for the upcoming friendlies ahead of Euro 2020.

The Telegraph note that Southgate 'wants' players who feature regularly for their clubs, which isn't necessarily the case with Foden. However, some senior ​City players are said to be 'bemused' that the teenager has not started games more regularly this campaign. 

Most recently, ​the player was excellent as he helped his side pick up the Carabao Cup trophy, grabbing an assist to go with his Man of the Match display. After the contest, he revealed that he is looking to make an impression on the Three Lions boss ahead of the Euros. 

He said: “I want to be there obviously but it’s very difficult with the players that we have there but hopefully Gareth was watching today, and hopefully he saw things that he liked so that is all I can do, just show what I can do every time I play and see where it takes me. We haven’t spoken much but he has said in a few places that he is keeping a close eye on me.”

​The Mirror, meanwhile, report that Southgate is 'keen' to look at Henderson, with current first-choice shot-stopper Jordan Pickford continuing to make high profile mistakes. 

The England boss was in attendance on Sunday as the Everton goalkeeper left his near post exposed, allowing ​Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes to fire in from long range.

Jordan Pickford

Henderson has been promoted to the senior squad in the last two England camps as a result of injuries, but he still remains an uncapped player. However, with the on-loan United man continuing to put in outstanding performances, he will be given his chance to shine in the friendlies later this month.


Source : 90min