England midfielder Phil Foden has denied rumors suggesting he avoided taking a penalty during their shootout victory over Switzerland in the Euro 2024 quarter-final.
The match ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, with Bukayo Saka equalizing Breel Embolo’s goal. In the shootout, all five England players successfully converted their penalties, while Jordan Pickford saved Manuel Akanji’s attempt.
Following the game, speculation on social media arose that Foden declined to take a penalty, prompting his substitution in extra time for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Alexander-Arnold himself hinted that a teammate had hesitated to take a spot-kick.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
Speaking to talkSPORT, Foden clarified, “I would have taken one if I had still been on the pitch, but there are players who regularly take penalties for their clubs, so it made sense for them to step up.”
He continued, “I think Gareth [Southgate] put the best penalty-takers on the pitch, and I’m glad he did because it worked in our favor. It’s about confidence; if you believe you can score, you can be a penalty-taker. Personally, I wouldn’t have minded taking one, but there are probably players who are better penalty-takers than me.”