Express & Star

Matt Maher: New England boss Thomas Tuchel appears ready to do things his way

His England reign may be in its infancy but if the first squad selection is anything to go by, Thomas Tuchel is not a man afraid to make bold decisions.

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Thomas Tuchel has handed call ups to uncapped Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn and recalls to Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson
Thomas Tuchel has handed call ups to uncapped Myles Lewis-Skelly and Dan Burn and recalls to Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson (John Walton/PA).

The 26-strong selection announced on Friday morning contained a couple of major surprises and several other eyebrow-raising calls.

Time will decide if they are right. As Tuchel himself was quick to point out, next week’s qualifiers against Albania and Latvia are only the first step toward the 2026 World Cup. All the same, he seems determined to do things his way.

Even allowing for the first ever call-up for 32-year-old Dan Burn, it was the recall of Jordan Henderson which created by far the biggest shock, many having already written the obituary for the midfielder’s England career when he missed out on the squad for Euro 2024.

But under Tuchel, he is back.