After announcing the squad for the November international break, England manager Tuchel held a press conference. This is the first part of the press conference.
Related Reading
【Tuchel: Rio Ngumoha is an option on both flanks; standby players know their situation】
【Tuchel: Must forget the 7-goal thrashing of Croatia, they almost beat Spain】
Good morning, Thomas!
Good morning.
How have you been?
Very well, thank you.
Great, I have so many exciting stories and squad selections to ask you about, but I feel I have to start with a... not negative news, but a player who wasn't selected. I like to ask it this way: Cole Palmer. You've called up five players who are arguably natural number 10s, and I guess you'd consider playing them in other positions, but...
Yes.
One of them isn't Cole Palmer. What was your thinking?
Yes, we have enough number 10s. We're sticking with the players from the last camp because it was excellent, and we're very pleased with the two and a half weeks we spent together. All the players had a huge impact throughout the camp, which is why we largely kept the original squad framework and retained all the attacking players.
We've added a new player, Josh King, who can play in multiple positions. I want to see how he performs on both flanks. He's an extra player for us, and of course, this also gives us enough players for training and covers every eventuality, because Josh King can play all four attacking positions. That's basically the reason.
It's definitely a huge headline when you see two Bellinghams in the squad...
Yes, of course!
It was a bit of a surprise for us, but honestly, it's a fantastic moment for Jobe, for Jude, and for their family. How did Jobe impress you enough to earn this call-up?
First of all, Lee Carsley (England U21 manager) spoke very, very highly of him and his performances for the U21s. For quite some time, he has been an outstanding core player for the U21s and has captained them. I believe the door to the senior team should always be open to players who consistently perform exceptionally well, and Jobe has done just that. In addition, he has found his feet and rhythm at Borussia Dortmund, had an excellent start to the season, and is now a regular starter with significant influence.
There's also an opportunity right now because, apart from Jobe, we called up four midfielders, but Lewis-Skelly will be suspended for the first match against Croatia due to accumulated yellow cards. Jobe has certainly earned this opportunity on his own merits and deserves to showcase himself with the national team, which is why we are delighted to invite him to the camp and see what he can contribute.
Hi Thomas, still on Josh King: you just mentioned he can play all four attacking positions. He came very close to being selected last time, and now three of the four players who took part in the pre-season camp in the US have been called up to the senior national team. I know you mentioned his versatility, but what else impressed you about him?
His character is simply fantastic. As you said, he made a great impression during the camp in the US and then had a good start to the season. Now he offers us some flexibility. We decided to call up 22 outfield players, which gives us some flexibility in training, and he is the "extra player" in the attacking line, if you want to call him that.
Of course, he is a young, exciting, and very tactically adaptable player. We want to see if he can give us an alternative option on the flanks, but he can certainly play as a number 10 and a number 9 as well. In the pre-season, he even helped us out at full-back in training – we won't try him at full-back again (laughs) – but he did well. It all comes from his attitude, his smile, his positivity, and he's very difficult to defend against. So hopefully, he can bring that small but bright spark to the camp and make an impression.
One more question about Cole Palmer. During the last camp, there was some discussion that he had missed too many opportunities to take part. I assume you spoke with him this time. Did you sense his desire to join the national team?
Well, I think everyone wants to play for England, and Cole is no exception. But we're talking about a player who isn't at the camp right now, and your efforts only count when you're actually there. I said last time that he had missed too many chances to show himself. That was a long camp, lasting two and a half weeks, and the players and lads who were there built something extraordinary during that time. That's why the credit belongs to them, and the trust belongs to them.
If you're in the camp, that's your chance to perform and make an impression. So it's not personal. We would never think that Cole doesn't want to play for the national team or lacks the desire to play for his country, but the competition is on, and the players who were at the last camp performed very well, so they kept their places.
Thomas, on occasions like this, we usually discuss the new faces in the squad and those who missed out, but at this particular moment, I think we must talk about Kane – the Golden Boot winner, and soon to be England's all-time record appearance holder. Could you give him some of your highest praise?
Yes, these two big achievements coming together, and our being able to witness it firsthand, is simply incredible. He won the Golden Boot, which is thoroughly deserved. And in England's next game, he will break the all-time appearance record with his 126th cap, which is an unbelievable achievement and perfectly highlights his professionalism, demeanor, and work ethic. He is our captain, and there couldn't be a better or more fitting occasion to celebrate this great achievement.
And let's not forget, this is a very important match for us, a crucial showdown. We are very eager to win it so that we can then play the final game in Spain. But the focus right now is on the match against Croatia, which will be a well-deserved stage and opportunity to congratulate an extraordinary player.