Foden Glad To Be Back In Southgate’s Good Books After Impressing In Iceland Win
Phil Foden says he is thrilled to be back in England manager Gareth Southgate’s good books after notching a brace in the Three Lions’ 4-0 victory over Iceland in the UEFA Nations League on Wednesday.
Foden, together with Manchester United youngster Mason Greenwood were sent home from camp after the reverse fixture in Reykjavik back in September for breaking coronavirus protocols, and the pair were subsequently left out of the England squad for October’s international games.
Foden earned a recall for this month’s games and scored his first two goals for the national team as England wrapped up 2020 with a win.
The Manchester City youngster was happy with his contribution after the game and is glad to be back in contention once again.
"It's up there with one of the best games and it means a lot to me," Foden told Sky Sports.
"I just couldn’t stop smiling after my goal, it’s an unbelievable feeling and I’m just going to try and enjoy it as much as I can.
"[The incident in Iceland] was one of the hardest moments of my life. That’s the time you need the trust of your manager and Gareth had a lot of respect for me and it means everything to me. I just wanted to repay him with goals and do well.
"I was just determined to come back and do the best I can. I was a little bit nervous at the start of this camp but I got used to it after a while."
Southgate was equally happy with Foden’s output following a difficult period for the 20-year-old.
"I'm really pleased for him, he's such an exciting player," Southgate told Sky Sports.
"It was a big week for him to come back in, not easy for him to walk in the door when he'd left like he did previously. For us, it's done. Today the two goals were a glimpse of what he's capable of."
