Seven-year-old Ronnie Foden has shared a letter from a fan expressing shock after England manager Thomas Tuchel dropped his father, Manchester City star Phil Foden, from the squad for next month's World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
On Friday afternoon, Ronnie, whose mother is Foden's childhood sweetheart Rebecca Cooke, posted the note to his 4.1 million Instagram followers alongside the message: 'Beautiful words.'
'Missing out on a major tournament is bound to hurt and we will never know how much it does, but we do know you are an incredible footballer who is going through a tough time which is allowed, nobody's perfect,' the fan's letter read. 'Keep your head up, don't let the negativity and noise around your performance bring you down.'
Foden was excluded alongside Chelsea star Cole Palmer and West Ham player Jarrod Bowen. However, the biggest shock was the omission of Manchester United defender Harry Maguire, 33, who has earned 67 caps for England and served as a defensive mainstay under previous manager Gareth Southgate.
Before the squad announcement was made, Maguire publicly said he had been left 'shocked and gutted' by the decision. On Friday, his wife Fern posted on social media: 'Beyond devastated for you. There was nothing else you could have possibly done to prove your worth.'
Maguire's brother Laurence, who plays for League Two side MK Dons, added: 'Shambles.'
Squad Selections and Tactical Choices
Tuchel admitted he was 'a bit surprised' by Maguire's outburst. Instead, the manager selected Manchester City's Marc Guehi, Aston Villa's Ezri Konsa, Tottenham's Djed Spence, and Newcastle's Dan Burn.
Also picked were Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, both of whom have wives who stay out of the limelight and do not conform to the archetypal 'footballer's WAG' image.
With this year marking the 20th anniversary of the WAG takeover in Baden-Baden led by Victoria Beckham, some football insiders wonder if a contributing factor behind Tuchel's decisions is his desire to avoid a similar circus surrounding his squad as that in Germany during World Cup 2006. His selection cull may well silence any external noise harming the chances of the Three Lions bringing home the trophy in what will be the 60th anniversary of England's 1966 World Cup triumph over West Germany at Wembley.
Past Controversies Off the Pitch
In March, Maguire was handed a 15-month suspended sentence by a Greek court when he was convicted of non-serious assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery after he got in a fight while on holiday in Mykonos in 2020. Maguire has always denied wrongdoing and at the time the sentence was handed down, said he planned to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Foden himself has also been caught up in his fair share of trouble. In September 2020, he and former Manchester United player Mason Greenwood were sent home from England's team camp in Iceland after they invited two Icelandic women to the team hotel, breaking strict Covid rules.
