England stars Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden have been kicked out of the squad after they were filmed meeting with girls in the team hotel in Iceland – breaking strict coronavirus quarantine rules.
The Three Lions pair will not travel with their team-mates to Denmark today after footage emerged of the pair in a hotel room with the girls.
The images, published by Icelandic outlet DV days after the pair made their senior international debuts in a win over Iceland on Saturday, appear to show Foden, 20, and Greenwood, 18, disregarding strict protocols put in place to ensure Covid safety among the players.
Today, England manager Gareth Southgate confirmed the pair will travel home separately from the rest of the team.
The national team were given an exemption from Iceland’s quarantine rules, which mean all foreign travellers have to quarantine for 14 days – regardless of how long their stay in the country is.
Instead, Gareth Southgate’s men were banned from meeting anyone outside of their bubble and were only allowed to go to their training facilities and the match while in the country.
A Snapchat clip released by DV appears to show England youngsters Phil Foden (pictured) and Mason Greenwood in a hotel room with female company
Phil Foden (left) and Mason Greenwood are both heading home after breaking quarantine rules
Foden and Greenwood (pictured with Gareth Southgate) made their senior debuts this week
Foden, above with Man City boss Pep Guardiola, has a two-year-old son and a girlfriend
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.’
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 talking ‘with one of the boys for a few days’.
She said: ‘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.’
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.
Meanwhile, Greenwood, who starred for Manchester United at the end of the recent Premier League season, came off the bench to achieve the same accolade.
United’s Mason Greenwood broke up with his model girlfriend Harriet Robson back in May
City star Foden regularly posts pictures with his young son, who turned one back in January
Greenwood, pictured in training on Sunday, will head back to Manchester United on Monday
Foden was all smiles on Sunday but is now leaving the camp under a dark cloud this week
England’s senior stars trained on Monday morning, but Foden and Greenwood were absent
The likes of James Ward-Prowse (centre) and Jack Grealish (left) were in high spirits on Monday
While the pair would have been looking ahead to England’s next fixture against Denmark in Copenhagen on Tuesday night, they will now leave Iceland and return home.
The pair were both absent from England training on Monday and it was then confirmed that they would leave the camp and travel home before the team’s second and final match.
England boss Gareth Southgate today faced the media for a press conference where he discussed the issue.
He said: ‘Two of the boys have broken the Covid-19 guidelines, in terms of our secure bubble.
‘We had to decide very quickly that they couldn’t have any interaction with the rest of the team and wouldn’t be able to train.
‘Obviously they have been naive. We have dealt with it appropriately. I recognise their age but the whole world is dealing with this pandemic.
‘Now they will have to travel back to England separately.’
He added: ‘Nothing has happened in the areas we occupy in the hotel.’
It has been reported by news outlet DV that the girls did not go into the players’ room, but instead two other rooms had been booked where the could meet the woman, who both reportedly from Iceland.
Greenwood (pictured left) is a rising star at Manchester United. The club have called his actions ‘disappointing’. Foden (pictured right) is also highly rated by Manchester City. The club says the player’s actions were ‘totally inappropriate’
The news outlet reports that, at first, only one of the woman was going to meet Greenwood, before a friend of hers decided to go with her.
A spokesperson for Greenwood’s club, Manchester United, said they were ‘disappointed’.
The spokesperson said: ‘Manchester United are liaising with the Football Association and are disappointed with the actions of Mason Greenwood over this situation.’
A statement from City read: ‘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.’