The players’ actual opinions on the 51-year-old German strategist have finally been made public as England prepares for World Cup qualifying matches against Albania and Latvia, marking the beginning of a new era under Thomas Tuchel’s leadership.
After succeeding Sir Gareth Southgate at the beginning of the year, Tuchel—who formerly managed Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain—has one goal in mind: winning the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America.
The FA considered a wide range of names after Southgate left, following the team’s defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final, but Tuchel’s club-level experience and expertise won out in the drawn-out discussion.
The surprising addition of Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker, as well as the perplexing exclusions of Elliot Anderson and Conor Gallagher, demonstrate Tuchel’s willingness to disturb the status quo when selecting his first team.
The Krumbach-born manager, who is only the third non-Englishman to hold the position, has welcomed his team to St George’s Park ahead of their next games, and the enthusiasm for the new era is starting to permeate the atmosphere.
The Guardian claims that the England team, which includes players like Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and Phil Foden, is excited about the chance to play for Tuchel, who is regarded as one of the best football managers in the world.
According to the article, there was an instant “buzz” in the WhatsApp group about the former Borussia Dortmund custodian’s arrival as soon as his appointment was formally revealed.
The England team has viewed Tuchel as a “perfectionist” and a “workaholic” after he gave the FA a detailed PowerPoint presentation outlining his strategy for winning trophies in the near future.
The report also advised that the FA put Tuchel and all the other applicants into three pots in order to decide who should be appointed. It should come as no surprise that he was classified as “super elite.”
Thomas Tuchel greeting the England players during arrival 🏴🦁 pic.twitter.com/KpYjoIH3h0
— Tuchel Cam 🏴 (@TuchelCam) March 18, 2025
In their few in-person encounters, Rob Dorsett, a writer for Sky Sports, has also asserted that Tuchel, who started his managerial career at Mainz in 2008, has been well-received by both the English media and the England players.
Since he began the position, he has truly impressed me. In every news conference he has given, Tuchel has got the English media giddy with anticipation, and based on reports, the England players have responded similarly to his motivational speech.
“He has impressed the players, but it’s a very short-term job,” Dorsett added. “He needs to get started right away because he has an 18-month contract and it’s already three months before he plays his first game.”
Fans will get to witness Tuchel’s England play for the first time on Friday when they visit Sylvinho’s Albania at Wembley Stadium, yet it’s unclear if he’ll be able to live up to the expectation of trophies. They host Latvia the following Monday.
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