Gareth Southgate has no excuse not to play Phil Foden in his best position for England

For a time, Gareth Southgate wouldn't select Phil Foden because he wasn't playing regularly for Manchester City.

Fair enough, and Southgate kept his word by slowly integrating a young Foden into the senior England set-up once he was confident that regular games were likely to continue at the Etihad.

Pep Guardiola has been firm in his stance that Foden's early development should come on the wings, away from the defensive responsibility he wasn't ready for. It was a way to give Foden time to enjoy playing at the highest level, scoring goals, and winning trophies.

Now, with the wing positions at City more competitive, Foden has knuckled down off the pitch and shown his value as a number ten in recent outings for his club. He says he feels alive in the position and wants to play there more. The international break should come at a perfect time for that.

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Like Guardiola, Southgate has sometimes held Foden back despite the weight of supporters' expectations. To compete in the England midfield needs a level of tactical and positional awareness - mainly because there are few defensive-minded players.

Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham look like mainstays in that midfield, so Foden's 'number ten' role could complement them both in the coming years. Foden has probably played more centrally for his country than for his club, with two goals and four assists coming from his 13 outings in central or attacking midfield. He has one goal and four assists playing wide from 12 caps, with his playing time split relatively evenly between the wings and the centre.

Of his 16 starts, nine have come from the centre, suggesting when Southgate wants to play him