Kyle Walker shocked by Phil Foden England squad decision as he reveals what his best position is after World Cup omission

Kyle Walker has revealed his surprise at Phil Foden not being named in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup.

The 26-man Three Lions squad heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico was announced on Friday, and included big omissions.

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Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and Harry Maguire were among the names to miss out on the tournament, which begins on June 11.

Foden was another high-profile absentee, with the Manchester City star a player who has made 14 appearances at major competitions for England.

The 25-year-old has ten goals and seven assists for City this season, but has not been as consistent as previous seasons.

England head coach Thomas Tuchel believes other players deserve to go instead in a decision that surprised his former teammate Walker, who is part of talkSPORT’s World Cup team this summer.

“It’s a shock to me because I know what Phil can do on a day-to-day basis,” the former City star said on talkSPORT Drive. “I know what Phil can do on a pitch at any given moment.

“But Phil will probably say that he’s not produced enough of what he can do on the field for Manchester City or not been given the chance to. Now, only Phil and Pep [Guardiola] know those answers.

“That’s probably had a ripple effect into the decision that Thomas has made.”

What is Foden’s best position?

After the announcement of his squad, Tuchel spoke to talkSPORT and revealed that he was unsure of Foden’s best position on the pitch.

“Is it a 10, is it a false 9, is it maybe more of a Bernardo Silva role in the future as an 8?” he asked.

Walker was then asked about where Foden best fits, and confirmed: “I think as a No.10.

talkSPORT

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“I think Phil can play off the wings, which is no problem for Phil, he’s done probably his whole career up until now.

“I feel that Phil has been a little bit unlucky when he’s waiting for the likes of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne to vacate the premises for him to then play in that No.10 role.

“But for whatever reason, the manager’s not put him there, but my personal opinion on Phil Foden, his best position is in the pockets.”

Maguire missing

Maguire has enjoyed an impressive revival at Manchester United this season, but not been chosen to play for England this summer.

He has played at centre-back, and even scored, for the Three Lions at the last two World Cups.

However, the 33-year-old may have missed the opportunity to play at the tournament for the last time in his career.

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“If you’d have told me six months ago he’d have been left out of the squad, I’d probably say, ‘OK, that’s fair enough,'” Walker said.

“But I think for what he’s done this season, and especially where Manchester United are this season, you kind of thought that he’d have a good running to get into that squad.

“I think his experience being at all the tournaments that I’ve been at as well, you know, he’s been a vital part of that. So, I think he’s very unlucky not to get in that.

“He’s fantastic and you can see that with how he plays for England, you know, he always steps up, even in penalties. I think I have to look at that.

“And for a centre-half to step up in penalties in all the major tournaments that we’ve been to is a great credit to himself.

“I think he speaks very well of just how much playing for England means for him. So it’s going to have been, you know, very tough for him to… well, a very tough pill for him to swallow yesterday in that phone conversation.

“But it’s football and he has to deal with it, and he has to dust himself down and get on with it, really.”

No room for Trent

Another player to have missed out is Trent Alexander-Arnold who, like Foden and Maguire, has previously played for England at a World Cup.

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The 27-year-old right-back has faced a difficult first season at Real Madrid with injuries and a lack of silverware.

Alexander-Arnold has also made just one appearance under Tuchel for England, and will have to wait longer for his next.

“I think if you were to say a player that plays for Real Madrid doesn’t get into the England fold, it’s kind of unheard of,” Walker said.

“But for whatever reason, the manager’s decided to go down the route that he’s gone down.

“And listen, he’s managing us in the World Cup and we have to trust him, and I feel that the more that we get behind the lads, the better it’s going to be.

“Listen, there’s always going to be doubts and question marks on everything that a manager does.

“But I feel that if we get behind him in the best way that we can do, especially when I think back to Russia, how much the nation was actually behind us then, it’s only going to help him.”

On whether or not he can understand why Alexander-Arnold hasn’t been included in the squad, Walker replied: “No, not really.

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“Because I feel that we all talk about Trent and what Trent does or what Trent doesn’t do so well.

“But let’s talk about what Trent does unbelievably well and probably the best in the world in his position at right-back with his range of passes, his delivery on the ball, his assists.

“And also, you have to think about the big games that he’s played in, whether that’s Champions League finals or big games for Liverpool, or big games for Real Madrid.

“You have to take that in consideration because as much as someone’s a good player, when you get put on in a World Cup quarter-final, World Cup semi-final, a European Championship final, it takes a little bit of a personality to make sure that you can get through that game, not just by your ability, but also mentally as well.”