Phil Foden

[RiverF]

Would you have selected him, knowing that he had a baby due during the tournament?

I don't think he's performed well (who has?), but I wouldn't have taken him, knowing he'd likely have to leave during the competiton, regardless of his performance.

He could have opted out so he's clearly not that bothered. Doesn't sound like he'll be missing any matches.

It must be disruptive though, both for him and the rest of the squad.

They've not long announced the pregnancy. Just hope his wee family are o.k.

I did wonder if baby wasn't due during the competition, initially, and therefore his absence was unforseen, but the way they're saying he's due back before Sunday, suggests everything is routine?

Imagine excluding a women from something work related because they were expecting a baby... Unless it was past the due date for the woman/they were on maternity leave that'd be discrimination and the same applies to Dads.

To be fair if any of the lionesses, or female Olympians, were imminently due they wouldn't have been selected.

Foden is one of our best players, and he has had an outstanding PL season so leaving him out if he wanted to play would have been a massive call.

Southgate isn’t an idiot, so it’s highly likely that he would have spoken to Foden before the tournament and they would have agreed a plan for the birth. The Euros are taking place in Germany, not on the moon, so flying back to Manchester for a couple of days between games isn’t an issue.

Surely it shows he is committed to his family and hi job?
Sounds like a good egg imo.

Not a good egg

Oh no why @snowballedinhell ?

Maybe but all work places have to do pregnancy risk assessments, you can't just blanketly say a pregnant woman can't do something. Not all sports are equal or carry the same risk.

I'm pregnant and I won't be playing team sports because there's obviously a risk of injury and i'm sure the majority of female Olympians/footballers would come to the conclusion jointly with their manager (or it'll have been risk assessed on a wider level and written in to policy) but he's a man and there's no risk to the baby.

I know very little about Phil Foden but they're all playing terribly. I'm not sure it's got anything to do with him expecting a baby.

It happens loads in cricket, people have flown back from India for example, and then back for the next test a few days later. He's only a 2 hour flight away.

He was one of the best players on Tuesday. There is a whole squad so even if he needed to miss one match it would be ok. He’ll likely be back for Sunday.

Given how we’ve been playing we couldn’t afford to not have him

my kids were saying the same yesterday! I didn't know; I thought he was a 'normal/regular' guy but according to them he's been unfaithful a few times.

Taking women into his hotel room after a match during the covid period, when already coupled up and a father wasn't a good look.

I'm sure this has happened before in football and other sports, not a massive deal.

I don’t think men should be excluded from doing their job because their partner is pregnant.

They're saying he'll be back for Sunday's match, so what's the problem.

He does look about 12 though ... hard to believe he has 3 kids.

This is sad.

if his football skills merit selection, he should be selected though

look at kyle walker - wife/mistress = 6 kids and newspaper scandals. Selected as football merits it.

Just like 95% of footballers unfortunately.

I'd be very upset if Harry Kane ended up in the news behaving like that ... seems like a lovely family man.

He's morally a bit off, but not done anything illegal and clearly deserves selection on merit. As does Walker.

I draw the line at Mason Greenwood (that video was so distressing) and even more so at the dutch beach volleyball player just selected for the Olympics who served time for raping a 12 year old.

ah ffs are any of them decent? So sick of hearing this, I know it's "put on a plate" for some but surely it comes down to respect & values

He is very young to have (now) three children though I will say but that's a choice

He really isn't.