Wayne Rooney calls Phil Foden’s Carabao Cup final cameo a ‘charity sub’ — and raises a bigger question about what changed

wayne rooney has questioned Pep Guardiola’s handling of Phil Foden after the England international was introduced in stoppage time of Manchester City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, describing the move as a “charity” substitution and saying the situation feels “strange. ”

What did Wayne Rooney say about Phil Foden’s late appearance?

Manchester City were closing in on a 2-0 victory when Guardiola made a 90th-minute change, sending on Foden and taking off Rayan Cherki. Speaking on the ’s Wayne Rooney Show, wayne rooney said he felt “sad” for Foden and argued that seeing a player of Foden’s standing coming on at the end of a cup final “felt like a charity sub to get him on the pitch. ”

wayne rooney also highlighted that in a match a few days earlier, Foden did not get on the pitch at all, adding to his concern about how sharply the player’s role has shifted. He said: “I don’t know what has happened, he is a top player. It feels strange he can’t get anywhere near the team. It feels like something has gone on there. ”

Why has Phil Foden’s role at Manchester City become a talking point?

Foden’s minutes have become a focal point because recent selection patterns suggest he has fallen behind other options. Cherki, January signing Antoine Semenyo and Savinho have all been preferred to Foden in recent matches, with Foden starting only four of City’s past 13 matches in all competitions.

The individual numbers underline the issue. The 25-year-old has not scored in his past 20 appearances, a run dating back to 14 December, following a period of decent form in which he scored six goals in five games. Despite that earlier run, he has struggled to secure consistent involvement, including being unused in last week’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Real Madrid, a tie City lost 5-1 on aggregate.

In the Carabao Cup final itself, the optics were stark: City were already in control when Foden entered in stoppage time, limiting his chance to influence the outcome beyond being present for the closing moments of the match.

What does Phil Foden say about his form and his next steps?

After the victory over Arsenal, Foden addressed his situation directly, framing it as part of the “ups and downs” footballers experience.

“Football sometimes is not straightforward, ” Foden said. “There are ups and downs and sometimes you can’t be the best version of yourself and that’s the way it is.

“It’s just about how you pick yourself back up. I’m still keeping my head down, trying to train as well as I can every day. Hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper and hopefully I can get more minutes and be back to where I was at the start of the season. ”

While his club minutes have dipped, Foden’s wider career record remains decorated: he has collected 18 trophies as a Manchester City player since breaking through into the first team as a teenager.

How does this affect England selection and the World Cup picture?

The club situation has immediate national-team implications. Foden has been called up to an expanded England squad for forthcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. At the same time, there are question marks over whether he will make the cut for this summer’s World Cup, with limited domestic playing time now part of the debate.

wayne rooney stressed the emotional and professional tension that can come with winning a team trophy while feeling personally sidelined. He said Foden would be pleased City won the cup, but “from a selfish point of view, he would have wanted to be out there and having an influence, ” calling that “a tough one for him” as the summer tournament approaches.

For now, the public facts are clear: a player who recently enjoyed a strong scoring run is getting fewer starts, is being used late in major matches, and is heading into international fixtures with his club role under scrutiny — a scrutiny sharpened by wayne rooney’s blunt assessment of how a cup final cameo can signal a deeper shift.