The highly-rated playmaker bagged a brace on his latest outing for the England U21s, with it hoped that he will now see more game time at club level
Phil Foden is “not as good as he can be yet”, but England Under-21 boss Aidy Boothroyd sees the youngster staking a claim for more regular minutes at Manchester City.
The 19-year-old delivered another reminder to club boss Pep Guardiola of what he is capable of during his latest international outing.
Foden bagged a brace for the Young Lions on Monday as they saw off Kosovo 2-0 at the KCOM Stadium.
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The highly-rated playmaker put in an eye-catching performance in Hull, with the challenge of his manager at City being met.
He has been restricted to just a 10-minute cameo in the Premier League this season, with Guardiola looking for Foden to force his way into contention for a more prominent role.
Boothroyd believes Foden is capable of doing that in a star-studded squad, with there even more to come from a player who has been tipped to reach the top for some time now.
He told reporters after seeing the City academy graduate star for his country: “He’s probably not played as well as he can do actually.
“He’s obviously happy with his goals and that’s a mark of a good player, always wanting to be better.
“He took his goals really well and the more he plays for us, hopefully it can be a little showcase of what he can do for his club.
“If Phil keeps doing what he’s doing and keeps learning. That’s the great thing about him, he wants to be better.
“He knows he’s not as good as he can be yet and that to me is the most exciting thing about him.”
Foden has seen just 19 Premier League outings for City, with 13 of those coming last season.
He has been tied to a new contract with the Blues, but continues to face fierce competition for places.
There is understandable frustration on his part that he is not being used more frequently, but also acceptance that he needs to make it impossible for Guardiola to overlook him.
Foden has said of his battle for recognition at the Etihad Stadium and the challenge he faces under a demanding boss: “He (Guardiola) has his own opinions and I stick by how I am.
“I just know that I’m ready to play.
“I feel like I am. I try to show him every day in training.
“There is a bit of team-mates telling me to be patient but obviously I’m hungry and want to play now. I’m going to fight for it every day. I’m ready to play whenever.”