Gareth Southgate has thrown his support behind the “exceptional” Phil Foden to be a standout player for England at Euro 2024.

Southgate also spilled the beans on a team meeting aimed at steering the players through the heightened scrutiny that comes with competing for England. Soccer legends like Alan Shearer and David Seaman have been lining up to weigh in on Foden, especially after Jude Bellingham’s dazzling show against Serbia overshadowed him.

Yet, it was Foden who topped the charts for distance covered by any England player – a whopping 13.2km – earning him a hefty dose of confidence from Southgate, as the players gear up for their upcoming match against Denmark on Thursday.

The England manager praised Foden, saying: “Phil did an exceptional job for us on Sunday. Other players grabbed the attention, but the way he worked for the team, defended the spaces, real intelligence in how he played.

“Towards the end of the game he retained the ball for us in really crucial moments. He had a half chance in the first couple of minutes where a slightly better touch and a shot away on goal we could be talking about something very different.

‌”He linked the game well in that opening period with the others. There was a lot going on in the game, a lot tactically to solve. And we were happy with what Phil did.”

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Southgate has highlighted that after every match, there’s always a player who becomes the center of discussion, with Foden’s recent performance drawing significant attention. He acknowledged speaking to the entire team but was particularly mindful of the spotlight on Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Despite Foden’s impressive season, clinching his fourth consecutive title with Manchester City and being named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year, he has found it challenging to replicate this form when playing for England.

Southgate remarked: “There’s going to be a narrative, a player, a couple of players, after every England game. This is a different world to the one you experience at clubs. The players as a collective recognise that now after the last couple of days.

“We talked with them about it. It’s very rare at their club they’d win a game and experience what they’ve experienced over the last couple of days.‌

“I have to make sure I can guide them through that, let them understand it and recognise it’s the reality of our world but that we shouldn’t be thrown off track by it. We’re in a good position, we know we want to play better, there are lot of things we did really well.”