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Rashford, Henderson recalled in Tuchel's first England squad

football14 March 2025 13:35| © AFP
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Marcus Rashford © Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel said Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson are contenders for England's 2026 World Cup squad after earning recalls in his first squad on Friday.

Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle defender Dan Burn were handed their maiden call-ups for Tuchel's first matches in charge in World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

England have turned to the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain coach in a bid to win a first major tournament since 1966 after losing the last two European Championship finals under Gareth Southgate.

Rashford last played for the Three Lions a year ago, but has been revitalised since a January loan move to Aston Villa from Manchester United.

Henderson, 34, made the last of his 81 appearances for England back in November 2023 as moves to Saudi Arabia and then Ajax saw the former Liverpool captain fall down the pecking order for Southgate and interim boss Lee Carsley.

"Everyone who's with us on this journey in the first camp is a contender for the World Cup," Tuchel said at a press conference at Wembley.

"Jordan, I think this is a pretty easy one," he added. "What he brings to every team is his leadership, his character, personality, energy.

"He makes sure that everyone lives by the standards and with this characteristic he embodies everything we try to build as a team."

RASHFORD'S 'HARD WORK' REWARDED

Rashford had been an outcast at United under Ruben Amorim, but has looked more like his old self in helping Villa to reach the quarterfinals of both the Champions League and FA Cup with four assists in nine appearances.

Tuchel said he wanted to "bond" with the 27-year-old and encourage Rashford not to fall back into bad habits with his work rate.

"I felt that Marcus had a huge impact in Aston Villa since he changed," said Tuchel, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021.

"His hard work in counter pressing, his tracking back on his position was impressive and I had the strong feeling that we should nominate him, we should bring him in, to push him to stay on that level. To not fall back in old routines."

Lewis-Skelly was expected to be included after excelling in his breakout season for the Gunners at 18.

Burn is at the other end of his career, but is rewarded for his consistency with a first call up at 32.

Tuchel is the third non-British coach of England after Fabio Capello and Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The German's appointment stirred controversy among some England fans given their long-standing rivalry with Tuchel's homeland.

But Prince William, now an English Football Association patron after 18 years as the organisation's president, believes Tuchel's pedigree makes him well suited for the job.

"Without doubt he is one of the top five managers in the world. It would be amazing if he could win the World Cup next year. It's gearing up to that and it's definitely possible," William told The Sun on Friday.

Tuchel said it was an "honour" to have met William during his first few months in charge and is keen to prove the decision to appoint him was the correct one by the Football Association.

"Exciting and a bit surreal," he said of becoming the first German to lead England. "It's a big honour and I'm very proud of it. I'm very well aware of it, I will make sure that I earn my rights to be in this place."

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)

Defenders: Dan Burn, Tino Livramento (both Newcastle), Levi Colwill, Reece James (both Chelsea), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (AC Milan/ITA)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/ESP), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax/NED), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Phil Foden (Man City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/GER), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)

TUCHEL HOPES TO BRING PREMIER LEAGUE POWER TO ENGLAND REIGN

Tuchel said his England team must reflect the physicality of the Premier League as he hopes to inject more "intensity" into the Three Lions.

The German's appointment as the third foreign manager to take charge of England has raised the pressure on Tuchel to deliver a first major trophy since 1966 at next year's World Cup.

After consecutive European Championship final defeats under Gareth Southgate, plus semifinal and quarterfinal exits at the past two World Cups, the English Football Association has invested heavily in Tuchel's track record as a serial winner.

The 51-year-old guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and also won league titles at Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain.

Tuchel, though, said he is hoping to deploy the pace and power of the Premier League, rather than a continental influence, as he looks to shape his England team.

"The Premier League is a very physically demanding league, is a very direct league and I think we should be brave enough to play like an England squad and should not try to copy other nations' styles too much," Tuchel said after naming his first squad on Friday for World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

"I think it should reflect the values of the country and of the strongest league in the world, which is the Premier League.

"I think we need to increase the rhythm and intensity of our game compared to our last matches. This is where the focus is and then hopefully it's an exciting watch and we have the effect that we wish for."

Tuchel's contract only lasts until the end of the 2026 World Cup and he is aware of the need to make an immediate impact.

Qualification should be a formality in a group also containing Serbia and Andorra.

But Tuchel is wary that his time with the players is limited in his first foray into international management.

"We are now consecutive in semifinals and finals and the feeling is that it's just a little step to bring it over the line," he added.

"I am very convinced that if we want to be prepared to be in the next final and to make the last step we need to do it now in the first camp, as boring as it may sound for you.

"If you go on a journey, it starts with the first step. This journey starts clearly with the first camp.

"We only have six camps, we only have 60 days (together ahead of the World Cup), we need to take care of every single day and make sure that we are on point.

"If we do this, hopefully the last step takes care of itself."

Recalls for Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson were the headline news from Tuchel's first squad.

Arsenal defender Ben White has ended a self-imposed international exile that has lasted since the 2022 World Cup, but is not included due to a lack of match fitness.

Tuchel confirmed that Harry Kane, who he managed at Bayern, will be retained as England captain.

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