'I feel frustrated'
Phil Foden swipes at Gareth Southgate for playing him out of position at Euros as England star says ‘we never got going’
Foden has had a revival with Man City in recent weeks after his Euro 2024 hangover
PHIL FODEN has finally got his spark back and is now aiming to light up the rest of Manchester City’s season.
The Premier League’s Player of the Year in 2023-24 felt burnt out when he returned to the club following last summer’s European Championship.
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Although England reached the final in Germany, it was a difficult tournament for Foden.
The hangover from that disappointment lasted several months and it is only since the start of 2025 we have begun to see the old Foden again.
It cannot be a coincidence that six goals in the last four Prem games have coincided with a mini-revival for Pep Guardiola’s team.
And they need their homegrown star to continue to shine to help save their Champions League skins tonight.
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Only a win over Club Brugge will be enough for the 2022-23 winners to avoid an embarrassing early exit.
Yet with Foden back in form, most expect them to get the job done.
The hopes of a fifth straight Prem title may be all but gone but the midfielder insists City have plenty to play for — and he intends to be at the centre of it.
Foden, 24, said: “Even though it’s been a challenging season, we’ve still got things to look forward to.
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“Because we’re having a bit of a blip, we can’t lose belief in that.
“I still believe we can do good things and come back from this. I want to try to show I’m a leader by turning up in big moments and help the team when I can.
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“We need to look at finishing at least top four in the Premier League — aiming to win the Champions League and the FA Cup as well.”
Foden has been pivotal to City’s recent success which has seen them win six of the last seven Prem titles.
It is only 19 months ago they did the Treble but Foden feels all the exertions of recent years finally caught up with him in August.
He could not find the energy which has been such a key feature of his game — leaving fans wondering what was wrong.
Foden said: “For me, football is played with the brain and when the brain is mentally fatigued you’re not going to see a player for who he is.
“I’m normally itching to get back but when I came back my body and my mental state was low.
“I’ve been playing since the age of five pushing myself every day to be the best I can.
“When you add up all the games and all the travelling it is a lot for the body.
"I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent when I was training, and there were a few niggles. There were times when I was getting frustrated.
“My body didn’t feel how I was used to and it’s something I’ve had to deal with.
“I feel that’s the reason why I had a slow start to the season. I had a bit of rest, just to give my body time to recover.
“I took the start of the season very slowly, I didn’t play much. I was resting and trying to get back to myself.
“When you start the season good, I feel you have the rest of the season good.
I feel frustrated I didn’t get out what I wanted to. The position I was put in on the left was very difficult to influence the game.
Phil Foden
"But I missed periods at the start of the season so I think that’s why it’s taken me so long to get going.”
Foden is looking much more like his old self now — as City have started to go through the gears since Christmas.
But the regrets over his time at the Euros with the Three Lions — when so much was expected of him — still linger.
The England faithful even came up with a song — an adaptation of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing in Dark.
But Foden was stuck out on the left by former boss Gareth Southgate and never really got going — even though he played every game as the Three Lions reached the final.
He said: “I feel frustrated I didn’t get out what I wanted to. The position I was put in on the left was very difficult to influence the game.
“Coming off last season — being the best player in the Premier League and playing centre midfield — I do feel the position was quite difficult to get used to.
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“I’m one who can play multiple positions and I had to try to deal with it the best I could.
"I don’t feel like England ever got going or performed to our potential.”
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