Phil Foden is now one of the best players in the world, having enjoyed a wonderful trajectory in recent years.
The Manchester City academy graduate was named Premier League Player of the Season for 2023/24, after helping the club to an historic fourth straight league title.
Foden’s contributions were plentiful. In 53 appearances, he scored 27 goals and laid on 12 assists for teammates in what was his most productive season as a professional.
Foden has undoubtedly enjoyed tremendous success with City, and we may well be talking about him as one of the most decorated players of all-time when he comes to hang up his boots.
But while Foden has excelled at club level, many argue that he has not really cut it yet for England.
Foden has 43 caps for his country, but there is a narrative forming that the City star has not really produced for the Three Lions like he has for his club.
Now, a statistic has emerged that perhaps further emphasises the struggles he’s had.
Declan Rice has now scored more England goals than Phil Foden
Last night, England took on Finland in Helsinki in Lee Carsley’s fourth game in charge as interim manager.
Foden started on the bench, after he did not make much of an impact in the 2-1 defeat to Greece days earlier. In fact, national media outlets slammed Foden for his performance against Greece.
He played the final 10 minutes or so against Finland after he replaced Jude Bellingham, but produced nothing really of note.
England ended up winning 3-1, and Declan Rice managed to get himself on the scoresheet.
That was Rice’s fifth goal for England, which actually now puts him one ahead of Foden, who has four in 43 caps.
It is somewhat remarkable to think that a player of Foden’s calibre has only scored four times for his country so far, especially when we know how much of a goal threat he is for City. For his club, Foden has 88 goals in 277 appearances.
Rice, of course, is primarily a holding midfielder. So for him to have scored more for England than Foden indicates a real problem.
Foden struggles for England aren’t all on him
Foden has definitely underwhelmed in an England shirt since breaking through with the Three Lions back in 2020.
We have all seen what he is capable of when playing for City, but for one reason or another, he has struggled to replicate those levels when playing for his country.
He was disappointing at Euro 2024, although a lot of the criticism was very overboard.
| Phil Foden for Man City | Phil Foden for England |
| Appearances – 277 | Caps – 43 |
| Goals – 88 | Goals – 4 |
| Goals ratio – 1 in 3.14 | Goals ratio – 1 in 10.75 |
At times, Foden has not been helped. Gareth Southgate arguably misused him a lot during his time as the head coach.
Many of Foden’s 41 caps have come after he has played on the wing. While he can play out wide, he is not nearly as effective as when he operates centrally. Foden’s half-turn ability is possibly the best in the world, but he can’t make use of that out wide.
It’s difficult for him, because there are other options to play in the middle for England, like Bellingham and Cole Palmer.
Foden needs to do more. However, he’s yet to work under a manager who’s got the very best out of him.
