Phil Foden sends message to Bukayo Saka over England starting spot
Manchester City’s Phil Foden has sent a message to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka over their fight for a spot in the England XI.
Foden was handed a start in England’s attack as the Three Lions booked their place at Euro 2024 with an impressive 3-1 win over Italy on Tuesday night.
Saka, meanwhile, was forced to withdraw from England duty due to injury having missed Arsenal’s win over City before the international break.
Phil Foden on Bukayo Saka
Quizzed about the battle for places after England’s victory over Italy, Foden told the BBC: ‘Bukayo [Saka] is a quality player, every time he pulls on the England shirt he puts in a 7/10 at least every time.
‘If I’m not starting I want to try and come on and change the game, I’m here to help the team as best as I can. It’s exciting because it shows we still have players to come back into the side and help us push forwards. It just shows the depth in quality that the squad has.’
Phil Foden on England’s Win
Foden, speaking more generally about England’s win, added: ‘It was a brilliant performance, I thought our defensive work in particular was excellent. When you come up against the likes of Italy you have to defend sometimes, they have great quality, and I thought we showed that throughout the game.
‘Delighted with the result. That’s where we want to be, beating these big teams consistently. We looked very dangerous on the counter. For the [second] goal I managed to find Jude [Bellingham], he did superb, and then it was finished off nicely by Marcus [Rashford].’
England’s Euro 2024 Squad
The battle between Foden and Saka is just one of many intriguing subplots as England look ahead to Euro 2024. With Gareth Southgate having an abundance of talent at his disposal, it will be interesting to see who makes the final cut for the tournament.
Foden and Saka are both likely to be included in Southgate’s squad, but with competition for places fierce, it remains to be seen who will get the nod for a starting spot.
Both players have been in excellent form this season and have proven themselves to be two of England’s most important players. With Euro 2024 fast approaching, it promises to be an intriguing battle between Foden and Saka for a place in Southgate’s starting XI.