Mason Greenwood of Manchester United and Phil Foden of Manchester City are reportedly sent home from the England national team, after allegedly bringing girls into team hotel in Iceland.
According to the report by Dailymail, Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden will not travel with their team-mates to Denmark today after footag/emerged of the pair bringing girls back to the team hotel in Iceland.
The pair made their senior international debuts in the win over Iceland on Saturday – but those accomplishments have now been overshadowed.
Players have been given strict guidelines to ensure COVID safety – and the images – published by Icelandic outlet DV – appears to show Foden and Greenwood disregard those protocols on Sunday.
The pair’s conduct in bringing girls back has also contravened the FA’s behavioural rules for players whilst on international duty.
In the short clip, Foden and Greenwood appear to be wearing their new England training wear and the players are now in hot water with management.
In an interview with DV, one of the girls in the Snapchat video allegedly filmed in the hotel room said: ‘We had no idea about these [Covid-19] rules, they never said we could not take pictures.’
DV claims that the girls were booked into separate rooms in the same hotel for the players to visit them.
Another girl claimed to have notified the England stars that the pictures were in circulation with a Snapchat message, but ‘they have not opened it’.
She also claimed to have been in a relationship ‘with one of the boys for a few days’, noting:
‘The only thing I can say is that I had been talking to one of them for a few days. I’m not going to say where.’
In a separate video, the girls are reportedly seen on their way into the hotel while talking about going to meet the players in a room booked for them.
Foden has a two-year-old son and a long-term girlfriend, while United star Greenwood broke up with his model girlfriend back in May.
Manchester City midfielder Foden started for Gareth Southgate’s side against Iceland on Saturday night, making his senior.
international debut, while Greenwood came off the bench to achieve the same accolade.
‘I think at the moment I’m trying to take a lot of information in,’ Southgate said at Monday’s press conference.
‘Obviously they have been naive, we have dealt with it appropriately. I recognise their age but the whole world is dealing with this pandemic.
‘I’m a father with children, young adults, I know people get things wrong. I’m not excusing that in this instance.
‘These are two boys I don’t know particularly well at the moment so can’t speak in great depth. I have got to try and speak with them later in the appropriate way. They have got responsibilities and they have apologised.
‘This is a job like no other in terms of the things you have to deal with. In terms of what is expected, the players who have been with us a longer time know exactly what is expected – whenever people have stepped across that line we have dealt with it appropriately.
‘The two boys are going to find themselves in a position where there will be lots of judgement of them from afar.
‘They understand they have got this wrong. Our job is to get on with the game.’
Southgate added: ‘Nothing has happened in the areas we occupy in the hotel. We are still getting the depths of the information. Still getting to grips with the detail. We have spent such a long time getting measures in place and the whole squad followed that to the letter.
‘I’m not going into any more details until I’m clear of everything. No-one from outside the hotel has been into the areas we occupy.’
Former England international Trevor Sinclair shared his thoughts on Twitter, writing: ‘Boys will be boys. Let’s not destroy our own young players. Learn and be better, end of x.’
Manchester City produced a statement on Monday afternoon in what they described were actions that are ‘totally inappropriate’ of Foden.
‘Manchester City FC are aware of the story which has emerged today from the England national team camp in relation to the behaviour of Phil Foden,’ the club statement read.
‘We have also seen the comments from England manager Gareth Southgate. It is clear that Phil’s actions were totally inappropriate.
‘His behaviour not only directly contravenes strict guidelines related to Covid-19, but also falls well below the standard expected of a Manchester City player and England international.
Foden appears to breach distancing rules for a kick-about on the beach