Micah Richards has given a damning verdict on England manager Gareth Southgate's decision to play Manchester City star Phil Foden on the left wing against Serbia.

The Three Lions kicked off their Euro 2024 journey with a narrow victory on Sunday, with Jude Bellingham scoring the game's only goal. Despite a strong start by England, the team lost their first-half momentum, allowing Serbia to amp up the pressure, and the favourites struggled to create many opportunities.

Southgate made a bold call to use Trent Alexander-Arnold in the midfield, but it was his use of Foden on the left flank that received flak from Richards. The Premier League Player of the Season came under fire for his ineffective performance against Serbia, but Richards laid the blame squarely on Southgate for failing to get the best out of City's talisman.

"Phillip Foden. Phillip f-ing Foden. I'm not going to swear because he doesn't deserve it. What can you do? I told you it doesn't work," complained Richards on the Rest is Football podcast. "It works for Man City if he plays on the right or the left or the number 10 because of the rotation.

"You know how Pep sets up his sides. There's going to be movement, rotation, De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Grealish, Doku, whatever it may be alongside Haaland up front. I just think with England there's not enough of that and he's left, at times, isolated.

"Me and Cesc [Fabregas] had a really good debate afterwards. He said I was protecting {Foden], I wasn't protecting Foden but it's frustrating. I did feel for him. With Foden, it's so disheartening to see a player of that quality being played out of position."

Another voiced: "The way Foden looked tonight, and with the lack of stretching from the left, I think Southgate is gonna wish he'd brought Rashford." Meanwhile, a third chimed in: "At some point Southgate has to realise Foden ain't a left winger and give up with it. Shadow of the player he was for City."

Despite scoring 27 goals and providing 12 assists in 54 appearances for Man City this season, Foden has often appeared less impactful when playing for England. Richards suggested that Gareth Southgate could move Jude Bellingham into a deeper midfield role to maximise Foden's potential for the Three Lions.

"Cesc was right, on the ball, he was moving into the number 10 role but he still had to press on the left and when he got the ball, it was almost like he was a little bit lethargic," Richards continued. "We're talking about a player of Phil Foden's ability, he's best at receiving the ball on the half-turn.

"So he has to play number 10, put [Jude] Bellingham further back alongside [Declan] Rice and play Foden in the 10. I said against Iceland, he didn't have the best of games in the 10 but other players have had other chances to play in their favoured positions and if we persist with it, he can have an impact with this squad."

"I think, with English players, we sometimes see it differently but I don't think it suits him on the left. He's better on the right but Saka plays on the right and Saka was great. He's consistent, he stays in that position, he likes that position.

"Phil Foden, I think, was caught between a rock and a hard place in the sense that he starts in that position, he's been told that he can come inside, but coming inside from a wide position is different to starting in the centre and being able to go either way. At the same time, you think, 'Come on Phil, you've got that much talent, you can work things out', but if you're uncomfortable..."

Offering a potential solution, Lineker said: "It'll be interesting to see how Gareth manages that situation on the left-hand side because you've got an obvious player that can play on the left-hand side in Gordon."

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