Jamie Carragher calls upon England to build the team around Phil Foden

Jamie Carragher has called on Gareth Southgate to build the England team around Phil Foden, saying the Manchester City midfielder reminds him of Zinedine Zidane.

The Liverpool legend reflected on one current dilemma in the national squad, which is the competition to play in the No 10 spot on the pitch.

Foden has had a magnificent season under Pep Guardiola, scoring 27 goals and registering 11 assists, often playing in his favoured central role.

He was recently crowned as the Premier League's Player of the Season, the first English star to pick up the prize since Jamie Vardy in the 2015-16 campaign.

Carragher in his column with the Telegraph stated that while Jude Bellingham is a phenomenon, Foden is England's 'most naturally-gifted footballer'.

'Foden remains in that category of top-class English footballers more synonymous with brilliant performances for his club. In his case, that’s because the standards he has set in a Manchester City shirt are so outrageously good, England performances have been underwhelming in comparison.'

Carragher has always been a devotee of Phil Foden's performance, often insisting that the Manchester City academy graduate should take the leading role in the England national team.

The Sky Sports pundit went on to say that Foden reminds him of Zidane more than Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham does.

He said: ''The highest praise I can offer is whenever I watch Foden and see that first touch, control and balletic movement in tight spaces, the first players who spring to mind are Zinedine Zidane and Andrés Iniesta.'

'We do not see Foden in the same way as Bellingham because we have seen him grow within the City set-up, making his debut as a slightly shy 17-year-old alongside the huge personalities in a side packed with world-class talent.'

'Whatever the set-up, picking Foden and Bellingham should never have been seen as a ‘problem’. With two of the best players of this – and any – England generation, the focus must be on how exciting it will be finding a solution.'

Foden moved to his natural position this season due to Kevin De Bruyne's injury troubles.

The 23-year-old has directly contributed to Manchester City's league triumph, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists in 35 games, including the decisive brace against West Ham in the final game.

He will have another chance to add to the medal cabinet in the FA Cup Final against rivals Manchester United at Wembley, where City are seen to be considerable favourites.

Carragher also made a comparison with Foden and his former Manchester City team-mate Cole Palmer.

Palmer, in his first season at Stamford Bridge after leaving City last year, scored 22 goals in 34 league appearances.

Carragher though said that Palmer's performances make Foden's success 'even more impressive'.