Jermain Defoe believes that Gareth Southgate is wasting Phil Foden's talent at Euro 2024 by continuing to play him out of position.
England have reached the semi-finals of the tournament in Germany despite some underwhelming performances throughout their run at the tournament.
One of the frustrations for England fans has been Southgate's insistence on playing Foden out on the left—only changing it for Sunday's quarter-final win over Switzerland.
Talking on William Hill’s podcast, Up Front with Simon Jordan, Defoe doesn't think England are getting the best out of the Manchester City superstar and that he needs to be deployed in the centre.
He said: “Phil Foden shouldn’t be playing on the left. He has to play between the lines and he has to be central. 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.”
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