Thomas Tuchel’s Surprising England Squad Selections: Rashford’s Return and New Faces
In a move that has caught many by surprise, Thomas Tuchel has made some bold choices in his first England squad selection. The most talked-about decision is the recall of Marcus Rashford, who has been out of the England setup since March 2024. Rashford, now 27, had fallen out of favor at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim but has found a new lease of life on loan at Aston Villa, where he has already registered three assists.
Tuchel, speaking to the Football Association’s website, expressed his admiration for Rashford’s recent performances: “He’s had a huge impact lately in the matches at Aston Villa. I was delighted to see his effort on the ball and his effort to be the best teammate possible and his consistent energy. There is no doubt about his talent and about his quality, but to see him so decisive and so physically involved gave me the impression that it is the right moment to call him up and give him the extra push that he stays on that level.”
Tuchel, who took over as Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor on January 1, has named a 26-man squad that includes four goalkeepers. Among them is a recall for Southampton’s Aaron Ramsdale, while Jordan Henderson returns to the setup for the first time since March, having last played for England in November 2023.
Another exciting inclusion is Myles Lewis-Skelly, who has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign at Arsenal. The 18-year-old has bypassed the under-21 setup entirely to join the senior group. Tuchel explained the decision: “It feels a little bit like we fast-forward a career that is already on a fast pace. I can assure you that the talks in the last days and weeks had a kind of a parental vibe, a bit of a protective vibe, to feel like maybe we should not nominate him to protect him a little bit, to not skip the under-21s, to let him go to the under-21s where he is a little bit out of the spotlight. Is this maybe even our responsibility to not take him? But in the end with injuries and the quality and the maturity he showed in the matches, we decided to take him.”
Meanwhile, Dominic Solanke has had an injury-hit campaign at Tottenham but has edged out Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, who misses out. Dan Burn has been part of a Newcastle side pushing for a return to Champions League football.
Tuchel suggested that Burn and Henderson could become influential figures as he looks to mold a squad capable of winning next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “For me, Jordan is a similar call-up for the same reasons as Dan Burn,” said Tuchel. “They carry these values on their shoulders and they carry their teams. It’s absolutely reliable what they bring in terms of energy and this is where the focus is also for us to build a strong team and a cohesive team. Jordan is a big piece in that puzzle for us.”
Notably absent from the squad is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is currently suffering from an ankle problem that rules him out of Sunday’s Carabao Cup Final against Newcastle. In his place, Reece James is included despite making just 13 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions due to persistent fitness problems. Tuchel, who worked with James during his time as Chelsea boss, said: “Reece works very hard to be in shape. He is fully available. There is no doubt about Reece’s quality and capability and what he can bring to us but we want to be flexible and have a bit of a wider range and that’s why it was a pleasure to bring Reece back in.”
Tuchel’s squad also includes Kyle Walker, now at AC Milan on loan, in an inexperienced defensive unit alongside Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Tino Livramento, and Jarell Quansah.
Some notable omissions include Manchester United’s Harry Maguire, who was a stalwart under Southgate, Arsenal’s Ben White, and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish. Morgan Rogers was first selected by interim head coach Lee Carsley and the Villa midfielder made the cut.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed last week that Tuchel had a long list of 55 players and he discussed the next steps after whittling that group down. “I’m very excited now for training finally after so many months already in the job — it’s time to be back on the pitch and hug the players and push the players and implement a certain style of play and implement some rules and principles,” explained Tuchel. “I can’t wait for that. We are very excited to be in charge of a match at Wembley. It’s beyond what I could imagine from my career.”
- Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)
- Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (AC Milan, loan from Manchester City)
- Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
- Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa, loan from Manchester United), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur)
Originally Written by: James Olley
