Phil Foden will be spoken to by Manchester City after breaking social distancing rules to play beach football on Sunday.
Foden has been at City since the age of eight, joining the club’s academy and has now made more than 60 appearances at senior level.
Fy Foden is in action for England Under-21s. / Mark Atkins / Getty Images
For several years now, he has been regarded as the Citizens’ long-term replacement for club legend David Silva, who is set to depart the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season.
The England Under-21 international is yet to receive a call-up to the Three Lions, but won the World Cup at Under-17 level in 2017 alongside Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jaden Sancho. In this tournament, he also won the Golden Ball for the best player.
Now though, he’s in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. As reported by the Mirror, Foden was invited to kick a ball at Formby Beach last weekend. The City star, who has just turned 20, agreed to play, but was later filmed two meters away from other players as they tried to tackle him.
Phil Foden appeared to defy social distancing rules on Sunday as he enjoyed a kickabout on the beach.
[The Sun] pic.twitter.com/JRhy5t3MjQ
— City Chief (@City_Chief) June 2, 2020
Premier League players have been told to keep two meters apart from others, just like the rest of the public – apart from full contact training sessions, which were confirmed last weekend.
Foden was then asked to pose with a group of men he played with. He obliged, but again failed to follow the government’s social distancing guidelines – the photo was later posted on social media and circulated widely.
His actions will now lead to stern words from his employers, who will no doubt remind him of his responsibilities as a professional footballer.
Foden started the Carabao Cup final in February. / Alex Livesey-Dean House/Getty Images
That said, he is not the first England player to breach the government’s social distancing guidelines – team-mate Kyle Walker and Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish have both been caught in the past few months. Both have since apologized, and Foden is likely to follow suit.