England star admits frustration at limited World Cup playing time

England star Phil Foden has admitted to feeling frustrated at his inability to hold down a starting berth in the England side.

A regular in the setup for several years now despite being just 22, Foden has started just one of England’s three World Cup matches so far: the 3-0 victory over Wales, in which he also scored his first World Cup goal.

With the likes of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and his own Manchester City teammate Jack Grealish competing over the same positions in the side, Foden has often been used as an impact sub later on in games. However, the midfielder insists he is a team player and will serve his country in whatever role he is given.

“It has been up and down,” Foden told BBC Sport. “[I am] disappointed not to start more games but it is part of the tournament. I am a team player and when I get the opportunities I’ll take them.

“I had seen a lot of media attention towards me to start, it is hard to get away from that.

“There is a lot [of competition]. [Bukayo] Saka has done well and scored in the first game, [Marcus] Rashford has scored and did very well against Wales. Everyone is scoring and everyone has proved a point so it will be a headache for Gareth [Southgate] to pick the team for the next game.”

Foden will hope his goalscoring appearance against Wales will be enough to earn him a second consecutive start as the Three Lions take on Senegal in the round of 16.