Phil Foden is set to return to England’s training camp tonight after attending the birth of his third baby.
The Football Association confirmed on Wednesday that the Manchester City star had returned to the UK to due to a ‘pressing family matter’.
Foden boarded a plane back to England straight after Tuesday’s draw against Slovenia to be with his family.
The attacker’s partner Rebecca Cooke has had a baby boy and Foden is now due to return to Germany on Thursday evening with hope he can train in some capacity at the team’s Weimar base on Friday.
It was revealed in April of this year that the 24-year-old and Cooke, 22, were expecting their third child. The family posed in front of a blue and white balloon arch that had eye-catching LED letters that spelt ‘Baby Foden’ on it.
Phil Foden (pictured) has welcomed his third child after he left England’s Euro 2024 camp
Foden and his girlfriend Rebecca Cooke announced they are expecting their third child back in April – pictured with son Ronnie, five, and daughter True, 12 months
It was announced on Wednesday that Foden (left) had departed Gareth Southgate’s (right) England squad ‘for a pressing family matter’
The family celebrated their exciting news with a lavish baby shower, sharing pictures online of the celebrations.
It is understood that Foden will return to the Three Lions squad ahead of their Euro 2024 knockout clash against Slovakia on Sunday afternoon.
An FA Spokesperson said: Phil Foden has temporarily left the England camp and has returned to the UK for a pressing family matter.’
Cooke and Foden share a son Ronnie, five, and a daughter, True, who turned one earlier this year.
Ronnie, who has his own Instagram account that has four million followers and is run by his parents, shared an insight into the baby shower celebrations on his social media account.
The post read: ‘Had an amazing day with the most amazing people.’
After finishing top of their group, England have drawn Slovakia in the last 16 of Euro 2024. Should England progress, they are set to take on the winner of Switzerland’s last 16 clash against Italy.
But Foden is expected to be back in time for the Three Lions clash against Slovakia, with a source having revealed to MailOnline: ‘Phil flew home for the birth of his baby but he is expected to be back in Germany in time to play in England’s second round match on Sunday evening.
‘It is not known when he’ll be back in Germany, but he is expected to be able to rejoin the squad before the match.’
The couple are childhood sweethearts and already have a son Ronnie and a daughter True together
The couple announced they were expecting their third child together with a heartwarming social media post in April
The Manchester City midfielder, 23, and his childhood sweetheart, 22, celebrated the exciting news
Rebecca has regularly been spotted supporting Foden at games throughout his career, with the pair here pictured after Man City won the Champions League in 2023
Foden and Cooke are childhood sweethearts, and reportedly initially met at a party when they were teenagers and have been together ever since.
The pair, who both hail from Stockport in Greater Manchester, largely keep their relationship largely out of the public eye, with Cooke keeping her social media accounts private.
The pair welcomed their son Ronnie into the world back in 2019, with Foden, who was 18 at the time of his son’s birth, having previously spoken on the transition to becoming a father to his young son Ronnie.
‘I was there for the birth. I walked out of the room, gave it a little tear and then went back in like nothing happened,’ he said during an interview with Manchester City.
‘I’m not one for crying in front of people. I like to be on my own, but I was there in the room, watched it happen and it was a special moment.
‘Your life changes. There’s no free time, which is probably why I’ve been struggling to fish as much.
The 24-year-old is a big family man and enjoys spending most of his time with his loved ones
‘I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. He’s been quite well-behaved, to be honest. He’s not been making it hard for me, which is good.
‘He sleeps through until about 7am. I haven’t really had to get up in the middle of the night, so I’ve been able to get my sleep.’
Foden is the youngest professional footballer to win six Premier League titles after helping Pep Guardiola’s side claim their fourth consecutive trophy earlier this season.
He was also named Premier League Player of the Year and the Football Writer’s Association Player of the Year for his outstanding performances for Manchester City during the 2023-24 campaign.
Speaking on his family life, a source close to the star said to MailOnline: ‘Phil is very close to his family, particularly his parents.
‘They, along with Rebecca, have been a constant source of support for Ronnie when he has felt the pressure and when things have got tough.’
A source told Mail Sport that his family and girlfriend, Cooke, have been a constant pillar of support for Foden
England will take on either Italy or Switzerland in the quarter-finals of the tournament if they beat Slovakia
Foden is pictured smiling in the stands sitting with family after England’s 0-0 on Tuesday
Rebecca and Foden live in a luxury £2million mansion in Bramhall, Manchester with the footballer purchasing the house when he was 18 after breaking through in the Premier League.
This season, the 24-year-old has scored 27 goals across 56 appearances for Man City, with Guardiola crowning the attacker ‘world class’.
Foden, meanwhile, exclusively opened up to Mail Sport on his journey through the Man City ranks.
‘The challenge for me was always a mountain to climb to even reach the first team,’ Foden says in the It’s All Kicking Off! interview.
‘In my head I just wanted to make one appearance for this club and be able to say that I had done it.
‘But once I did that I thought: “No I can actually play here. I can handle the standard”.
‘Now I am at that stage where I feel like I am a key player in the team. I feel very comfortable with that.’
But akin to his team-mates in Germany, Foden has failed to replicate his excellent form for England so far in Euro 2024.
That could largely be down to his positional change, with many calling for him to play more centrally in the No 10 position, instead of coming off the wing.
