Phil Foden has said he does not mind being called the “Stockport Gazza” after inviting comparisons to the former England midfielder by dying his hair blond.
Foden is one of the most exciting youngsters in England’s squad and he has done nothing to quell the hype by recreating Paul Gascoigne’s bleached look from Euro 96. The Manchester City midfielder posted a picture of his new haircut on Instagram on Tuesday, captioning it “Euro 96 vibes”, and he wants to emulate Gascoigne on the pitch at Euro 2020.
“I’ve had the same haircut for ages now so I thought I would try something new and woke up this morning with a lot of comparisons to Gazza and Eminem,” the 21-year-old said. “It was my own thing and people have turned it into something else.
“I remember watching highlights on the TV of Gazza – unbelievable player. The nation knows what he means for the country and what he did. I wouldn’t be too bad if I try to bring a bit of Gazza on the pitch.”
Foden was not born when Gascoigne helped England to reach the last four of Euro 96 but he understands the significance of the “Stockport Gazza” nickname. “I don’t mind that at all,” he said. “He’s a great player.”
Foden’s teammates are not planning to copy his haircut. “Not too many are as brave as me,” he said. “They like their hairstyles as they are.”
Foden thanked Gareth Southgate for giving him a second chance after he was sent home from international duty with Mason Greenwood last September. The young duo breached coronavirus protocols by inviting two women to the team hotel in Reykjavik after England’s win over Iceland in the Nations League.
“I made a massive mistake,” Foden said. “I was young. Gareth told me if I keep doing well, keep performing well, I should get another opportunity. So I had to work really hard for that. Not many managers would give you another opportunity so I have to thank Gareth a lot for giving me another opportunity.”