Phil Foden repays Gareth Southgate's trust with a double
England midfielder Phil Foden said he was happy and relieved to repay manager Gareth Southgate's trust in him with two goals against Iceland yesterday morning (Singapore time), two months after breaching Covid-19 protocols following the reverse fixture.
Foden and Mason Greenwood allegedly met women in their hotel room after a Nations League win in Reykjavik and were sent home while the rest of the squad travelled to Denmark for their next game.
But Foden, 20, returned to the England fold and made his first appearance since the incident, scoring two well-taken goals and providing an assist in the 4-0 win over 10-man Iceland in the Nations League at Wembley. Declan Rice and Mason Mount scored the other goals.
"That was one of the hardest moments of my life. That's when you need the trust of your managers," Foden said.
"I have a lot of respect for Gareth for playing me tonight and trusting me, I'm happy to repay him with the goals. I was just determined to get back and do as well as I can."
Southgate was pleased for Foden after he scored his first goals for England and praised the Manchester City man's fortitude in bouncing back.
He said: "To have the experience he had in September was really tough for a youngster. We all make mistakes, it was a difficult situation to be in." - REUTERS
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