Phil Foden says the red card against Manchester City's rivals Manchester United and the break that followed helped him reset. He is not claiming an England return yet, but he does say the pause left him feeling sharper and happier with his game.

The reset after the Manchester derby

Foden was sent off during the derby victory at Manchester United in September and did not play for over a month. He last featured for England in March and was left out of the lengthy four-game September camp, so the timing of the interruption was awkward in more than one sense.

"I think personally it's gone really well. Obviously I had the unfortunate red card against United, but the break has done me good," Foden told manchestereveningnews.co.uk. "I think I came back really fresh minded and sharp."

That lines up with the output since his return. Foden has four goals in his previous five appearances for City, and in the Premier League this season he has one goal in seven appearances.

The England return he is chasing

The message from Foden is simple enough. Keep playing, keep scoring and stay in the right positions, and the England door may open again.

"Just keep playing regularly, being happy, positive and being in the right position to score as well," he said. "Hopefully I can get back to that level. I think I'm starting to get back there now in my recent performances."

He added: "You just have to keep trying your best on the football field, keep putting in performances. That's all we're trying to do really, is focus on your own game. Hopefully one day the [England] call-up might come back."

The numbers in Europe give that claim some weight. Foden has three goals in two Champions League appearances this season, plus one assist, and Manchester City host RB Leipzig in the Champions League before a Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.

Foden is not back in England yet, and nobody from the camp has said otherwise. What he does have is a run of end product, a cleaner head after the Manchester United red card and a chance to turn the next few games into another case for a recall.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →