Phil Foden hits back at critics claiming he hid from England’s penalty shoot-out against Switzerland

Manchester City’s standout star from the last campaign, Phil Foden, has hit back at those who felt he had hid from England’s penalty shoot-out against Switzerland.

Gareth Southgate’s side reached the semi-finals of this summer’s European Championships in Germany despite plenty of critics hitting out at their style of play, and reluctance to feature certain stars and operate others in natural positions.

Despite excellent showings for their respective clubs across the course of the season, the likes of Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon, Brentford’s Ivan Toney, and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins have been largely limited until recent outings.

But an improved performance and penalty shoot-out heroics showcased the potential that is certainly in place within the England set-up, and despite the game going all the way to penalties, the Three Lions would prevail with excellence from the spot.

One player to stay away from the spot-kicks was Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who was replaced in the lead up to the shoot-out thus making him ineligible to take an action against Switzerland from 12 yards.

Speaking during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT at England’s European Championship training base in Germany, Phil Foden has responded and hit back at critics who felt the City playmaker had hid himself from the nation’s shoot-out against Switzerland.

“I would have taken one if I was still on the pitch but I think there are players who take them regularly for their clubs,” Foden insisted. “It makes sense for them to take it. I think that is what Gareth (Southgate) done, put the best penalty takers on the pitch.”

He continued, “I am glad he did that, now, as it definitely worked in our favour. I think it is a confidence thing. If you believe you are going to score, then you can definitely be a penalty taker.

“I wouldn’t have minded taking one if I was still on the pitch but there are probably better penalty takers than me (in the team).”

Phil Foden has certainly established himself as a player who knows where the goal is, finding the back of the net on 27 occassions across the course of the most-recent seasons, with 19 of those strikes coming in the Premier League.

It was that output, coupled with a further eight assists in his 35 Premier League appearances that saw Foden crowned Premier League Player of the Season in a fourth successive English top-flight winning campaign for Manchester City.

It remains to be seen what responsibilities are granted to Foden during the upcoming season, with Manchester City requiring more on the right-wing of their attack, but also recognising that the Englishman is best-suited to the central attacking midfield role.