19 June 2024 , 21:30
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Gareth Southgate has backed “exceptional” Phil Foden to shine for England at the Euros.
And Southgate also revealed that he held a team meeting to help “guide players” through the extra scrutiny which comes with playing for England at a major tournament. Ex-players from Alan Shearer and David Seaman have been queuing up to have their say on Foden after he was outshone by Jude Bellingham ’s performance against Serbia.
But Foden covered more ground than any other England player - 13.2km - and has been given a major vote of confidence by Southgate ahead of their clash with Denmark on Thursday night. England boss Southgate said: “Phil did an exceptional job for us on Sunday. Other players grabbed the attention, but the way he worked for the team, defended the spaces, real intelligence in how he played.
“Towards the end of the game he retained the ball for us in really crucial moments. He had a half chance in the first couple of minutes where a slightly better touch and a shot away on goal we could be talking about something very different.
“He linked the game well in that opening period with the others. There was a lot going on in the game, a lot tactically to solve. And we were happy with what Phil did.”
Guardiola picks side on BODY LANGUAGE as he tells Foden why he’s been on bench
Southgate also insisted that after every game, one player often becomes the focus of debate and Foden’s performance has attracted most attention. It is believed that Southgate spoke to the whole squad but was acutely aware of the focus on Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Foden won a fourth consecutive title with Manchester City this season and was voted the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year but has often struggled to produce his best form for England. Southgate added: “There’s going to be a narrative, a player, a couple of players, after every England game. This is a different world to the one you experience at clubs. The players as a collective recognise that now after the last couple of days.
“We talked with them about it. It’s very rare at their club they’d win a game and experience what they’ve experienced over the last couple of days. I have to make sure I can guide them through that, let them understand it and recognise it’s the reality of our world but that we shouldn’t be thrown off track by it.
“We’re in a good position, we know we want to play better, there are lot of things we did really well.”