Fifth most valuable Englishman
©IMAGO
At the European Championships two years ago, Phil Foden was a long-time favorite for the English national team right up to the final. But he could miss the upcoming World Cup. At least that’s how statements made by Three Lions coach Thomas Tuchel about the 25-year-old offensive player – the fifth most valuable English footballer – can be interpreted.
“He tried everything,” said Tuchel on Wednesday when asked whether Foden had taken his chance during the previous training session. In the unsatisfactory friendlies against Uruguay (1:1) and Japan (0:1), Foden was in the starting line-up and was substituted after just under an hour. Tuchel said: “He was excellent in training, but yes, he can’t really translate that into practice on the pitch.”
Foden, once one of the most valuable footballers in the world at 150 million euros, recently lost his regular place at Manchester City. His best phase this season was from the end of November to mid-December, where he scored six goals and one assist in four games. Since mid-January, however, he has mostly only been used as a joker – if at all.
Tuchel believed Foden would be surprised – doubts about taking part in the World Cup?
“Obviously he hasn’t played many minutes for City recently,” said Tuchel. “Then he came to the clinic with a bright smile and did so well in training that I thought he would just surprise us and play with the same drive and enthusiasm, but yes, he is struggling to reach his full potential.” Foden’s performance in the defeat against Japan was particularly criticized in the English media.
The pending question was whether Foden could be taken to the World Cup in this condition; Tuchel stated that he could do that, “the question would be whether we will do that too”. Tuchel was asked whether he had any doubts about Foden taking part in the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada. He said, “Well, there’s no guarantee he’ll come.”
