That’s a big reason why Foden readily admits England have yet to see the best of him. “Definitely not,” he says, after training in the scorching heat of Qatar on Thursday afternoon ahead of England’s World Cup opener with Iran on Monday. Or why Foden does not consider himself world-class despite the trophies he has won and the profile he has built since joining Manchester City. “Certainly not,” he says again. The numbers aren’t good – two goals in 18 appearances, the first of which came in Iceland in September 2020, and the less said about this trip the better. Quick guide
Qatar: beyond football
projection This is a World Cup like no other. For the past 12 years the Guardian has been covering the issues surrounding Qatar 2022, from corruption and human rights abuses to the treatment of migrant workers and discriminatory laws. The best of our journalism is brought together on our dedicated Qatar: Beyond Football page for those who want to delve into issues beyond the pitch. The Guardian’s reporting goes well beyond what happens on the pitch. Support our investigative journalism today. Thanks for your response. “I don’t think it’s easy to come into a team and not know the players very well,” says Foden. “You have to find out what they like more – running backs or wanting balls at their feet. [But] I had enough experience in the England team to understand the players. I should have scored a lot more for England. I hope this World Cup can be good for me and I hope I can score goals.” Foden enters with confidence and perhaps because he is the only member of the team who knows what it is like to win a World Cup. He triumphed in the Under-17 edition in 2017 when he was named player of the tournament. Have his teammates picked his mind? “I don’t think they understand,” Foden replies with a smile. “I should tell them I’ve already won the World Cup, shouldn’t I? It changed some of our lives forever. “I remember very well that the team had so much confidence. We’re not big-hearted, but we just knew we were going to win because of how good we were. The same is true here with this team. Reaching the Euro final gives the team a big boost. I think Harry [Kane] has already touched on it. He sees us as one of the favorites. We just have to be confident and believe in it.” Phil Foden is substituted during England’s goalless draw with Scotland in the Euro 2020 group stage. Photo: Facundo Arrizabalaga/Pool/Getty Images Foden’s Euros could have turned out differently if he had won early in the opener against Croatia instead of coming back from a goal down. “It could have changed my tournament,” he says. “When you score, your confidence goes through the roof and you feel like you can do anything.” Instead, things backfired as he was booked for a pointless 64th-minute foul on Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol. The consequences would be extreme, disproportionate to the offense. With Mason Mount ruled out of the final group game with the Czech Republic and the last-16 tie with Germany after coming into close contact with Scotland’s Covid-positive Billy Gilmour, Gareth Southgate dropped Foden from the squad to face the Czechs . The manager didn’t want Foden to get a second yellow card and suspension against Germany. In came Bukayo Saka, who excelled, and Foden would only feature again as an extra-time substitute in the semi-final win over Denmark. He would miss the final after suffering a serious leg injury in training. The session was over and it sounded like Foden was getting confused. Subscribe to Football Daily Start your evenings with the Guardian’s view of the world of football Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “I was doing a bit of a long pass after practice and decided to take a touch and I felt something in my leg,” he says. “I couldn’t walk. It was really bad and I was told it was an injury that you don’t see very often. Getting to the final – maybe one of the biggest games of my life – was really tough.” Foden, who has been in and out of the City squad since early October, is looking to carry his scoring form into the World Cup. He has eight goals for City this season, putting him on course to break his career high of 16 in 2020-21, and believes he is getting into better areas, mainly from big starting positions. In previous seasons he played as a false 9, at times. There is no reason for that now Erling Haaland has joined. What is Foden’s best role? There’s a sense that Southgate hasn’t found it enough, although he’s seemingly tried him everywhere, including as a deep-lying playmaker and up front alongside Kane. “I see myself playing behind the striker in the future or as one of eight or 10 at City,” says Foden. “You can influence the game more centrally because sometimes you stand out…” Foden is highly motivated to step up to the World Cup, but there is one difference before the tournament – there is no peroxide rinse. “It was incredible to see everyone doing it [at the Euros]Foden says. “My phone was going off every day with, ‘This kid got a haircut!’ It was surreal. I’ll just stick with what I have this time unfortunately.”
