Scott Carson has backed Phil Foden to use his World Cup omission as a reset, saying the Manchester City forward should take the blow, clear his head and come back fresh for a new season. Carson also pointed to Nico O’Reilly’s rise as the other side of England’s summer selection picture, with the 21-year-old moving into contention for a starting role at left-back.
The timing matters because England are heading into a World Cup group stage against Croatia, Panama and Ghana in North America, while Foden faces his first prolonged competitive break since breaking into the Manchester City first team. Carson said that should not be read as a setback that defines the 26-year-old’s place in the game, but as a rare chance to step away after years of being involved almost continuously at the top level.
Carson said Foden’s value is obvious to anyone who watches him day to day. He described him as the kind of player who can win a match out of nothing, but added that the England call for this summer may have gone the other way because he has been used across the front five at Manchester City rather than in one settled role. In Carson’s view, that flexibility is a strength for a club side but may have counted against him when England weighed up who fitted best into the squad.
The same conversation turned quickly to O’Reilly, whose rise has been far sharper than most would have expected when he was still in the Elite Development Squad. Carson said he had seen him around the squad for two years or so and remembered him playing in Carabao Cup and FA Cup games, including a match against Bournemouth in which he ran the left side and scored. From there, Carson said, O’Reilly kicked on.
That acceleration has made him one of the more striking figures in the England picture this summer. Carson called his season for Manchester City unbelievable and said he is more than ready for the World Cup, adding that the demands of big matches and constant pressure at club level are close to what he will face with England. He also said O’Reilly may be shy off the pitch, but he is aggressive when it matters, makes tackles in training and in matches, and has the athleticism to get forward and score.
There is a neat symmetry in the two careers now. Foden, a major attacking talent whose versatility has become part of the argument against him, is being told to step back and reset. O’Reilly, who only recently moved from promise to regular minutes, is being pushed forward into the hardest stage of the tournament. Carson’s point was not that one has replaced the other, but that the break could leave Foden sharper later, while England may already be leaning on a player who has arrived faster than expected.
