Jermain Defoe has criticized Southgate for misusing Foden at Euro 2024, arguing that the Manchester City star excels in a central position. Defoe compared this situation to Joe Cole’s struggles during England’s golden generation in the 2000s.

Despite coming off his best club season, Foden has yet to score or assist in five Euro 2024 starts. Initially positioned on the left flank for England’s first four games, he struggled to consistently impact the match. Southgate did move Foden to a central role for the quarter-final against Switzerland after switching to a 3-4-2-1 formation.

“Phil Foden shouldn’t be playing on the left. He has to play between the lines and he has to be central,” Defoe told William Hill’s Up Front with Simon Jordan. “If they can get the ball to him in the right areas then he will cause damage, but I feel like he’s being wasted. I remember a similar situation happening with Joe Cole. He used to play on the left for England and I always used to think that if he played central and you could get him the ball, we’d have a better chance of winning the game. Players like him can just do something with the ball off the cuff. Every England fan is saying the same thing about Foden, he has to be playing central.”

In the 2023-24 season, Foden recorded 39 goals and assists in 53 appearances for Manchester City, earning him the FWA Footballer of the Year title. He mainly played on the right but also featured centrally and occasionally on the left.

It would be surprising if Foden were benched at this stage of the tournament. Whether Southgate sticks with the 3-4-2-1 formation or reverts to 4-2-3-1 for the semi-final against the Netherlands will determine Foden’s position on the pitch.