Darren Bent slams Phil Foden after what Marcus Rashford did for England
Darren Bent was less than impressed with Phil Foden’s display despite England securing a 2-0 victory against Albania.
Ever since making the move to Aston Villa, Rashford has looked rejuvenated and impressed more often than not under Unai Emery.
Those displays earned him a call-up to the England squad for the March international break, where he started on the left flank, with Foden on the opposite side in the absence of Bukayo Saka.
However, Rashford is usually left out of the 11 when everyone is fit, with Bent attempting to make sense of it.
Rashford impresses Bent with England appearance
Rashford is a player with an immense amount of ability, though he has been unable to shine given the mess at Manchester United.
However, it has started to emerge from the shadows at Villa Park and was replicated in his display at Wembley in the World Cup Qualifiers, leaving Bent baffled as to why Foden usually gets the nod ahead of him.
Speaking via talkSPORT (24 March, 4:14pm), Bent said: “I wouldn’t say [Rashford’s] at his absolute best because we’ve seen him play a lot better for club. But Phil Foden, again, on that right-hand side, I mean, I hear so many people making so many different excuses for him that his best position’s not on the left, it’s a number 10, or better off the right-hand side, and he played off the right-hand, he just looked like he had no confidence.
| England v Albania | Minutes played | Completed Passes (Accuracy) | Dribbles completed | Chances created |
| Marcus Rashford | 74 | 35 (85%) | 3 | 1 |
“Every single time he got the ball, he passed it back. Never really tried to take the full-back on. At least Marcus Rashford tried to be positive, tried to make runs in behind, tried to go past the full-back.
“So I think there was a little bit more coming from Rashford’s side than Phil Foden’s, but Foden’s offered nothing.”
Rashford lasted 74 minutes in Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge and did himself no harm when it comes to future call-ups, though his form between now and the end of the season will be crucial in determining where his England future lies.
Unai Emery needs Rashford at his best for Aston Villa
Aston Villa remain with a chance of achieving Champions League qualification through the Premier League, though form will need to be consistent for the final run-in.
Not only that, but they have an outside chance of Champions League success this season, though for both to happen, Rashford will need to showcase his true ability.
The 27-year-old has showcased his ability to be a game-changer for club and country, and his role could be crucial for Villa to achieve success this season.