- There are calls for Phil Foden to play in a central position for England
- Gareth Southgate has strongly hinted that he will continue to play Foden wide
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast It all starts!
Gareth Southgate has cast doubt on Phil Foden’s suitability to play in a central midfield role for England.
Rumors are swirling that the Manchester City forward could be moved into a central position following Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Ukraine.
But England manager Southgate – who revealed he has spoken to City boss Pep Guardiola about Foden – hinted he still views the 23-year-old as a wide player.
“He doesn’t play there for his club, so there’s probably a reason for that,” he said. ‘It really depends on the level of the game.
‘In the middle of the park everyone wants to talk about when you are with the ball, but there are a lot of details without the ball and games where you have to be sharp with pressing angles. If you don’t, you won’t get the flow of the game.
Phil Foden has struggled to get playing time in a central midfield position for England
Gareth Southgate has strongly hinted this will not change as he views Foden as a winger
Southgate has suggested that Foden’s club manager Pep Guardiola also believes he is best suited to play out wide
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‘You should talk to Pep, the best coach in the world, who plays him wide. He always has the freedom to drift when we play him wide and that is important.
‘We are very happy with Phil. He played at the European Championships, got to the semi-finals of the European Championships and had a big impact: he played for us at World Cups. He is only 23 years old and has great experience.
“He’s still making progress and still learning, but he’s a super player.
‘But we have a lot of very good young players, so it wasn’t easy. We have expectations for every player and he has been with us from a young age. But he is fighting Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford and all the other players we have in that area.”