THOMAS TUCHEL dropped a hint that he would be willing to take on the England job during an interview nine months ago.
The German, 51, has signed an 18-month contract worth a total of £7.5million to be Three Lions boss.
Having been out of work since leaving Bayern Munich in the summer, Tuchel will officially begin work at St George’s Park on January 1.
The former Chelsea boss will be assisted by former Blues No2 Anthony Barry and will take England to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Despite being axed at Stamford Bridge in September 2022, Tuchel has retained an affinity for English football.
And during an interview with ESPN earlier this year, he admitted that he felt “more appreciated” in England than in his native Germany.
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He said: “Yes, I feel that we are very critical with each other in Germany and especially with players or coaches and not only with me.
“It’s very hard to escape a certain drawer once you’re in the drawer.
“There is a picture and this picture is basically the picture for years and years.
“I felt more appreciation in England, yes, it’s just a fact, I’m not complaining.”
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Tuchel will become the Three Lions’ third men’s team manager from overseas, following Fabio Capello and the late Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Upon being announced as boss this morning, the former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund coach again admitted his love of the English game.
He said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team.
“I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.
“To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
“Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud.
“I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark (Bullingham) and John (McDermott), for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
The FA revealed that Tuchel penned his contract in secret on October 8, with the deal kept under wraps so as not to serve as a distraction as Lee Carsley led the Three Lions in Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.
Tuchel will oversee his first matches in charge next March, although the opponents are yet to be determined.
Inside FA’s thrilling chase for Tuchel
THE FA’s path to securing Thomas Tuchel’s signature was not a straightforward one.
They tried to lure Pep Guardiola from Manchester City over the summer.
They even made contact with Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti after deciding to target trophy-laden foreign gaffers.
The FA’s determination to go international was summed up by their decision NOT to interview Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.
Initial talks with Tuchel saw him express a slight interest in replacing Gareth Southgate.
But he was waiting to see what would happen at Manchester United, with Erik ten Hag’s future under the spotlight.
Man Utd owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe eventually decided to stick with Ten Hag – and that opened the door to the FA getting their man.
Read the full story on England’s thrilling pursuit of Thomas Tuchel.
The new England boss worked in the Premier League with Chelsea between January 2021 and September 2022.
During that time he won 60 of his 100 games in charge in all competitions, drawing 24 and losing 16.
His side won the Champions League in Porto in May 2021, defeating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
During his only full season in English football, the Blues came third in the Premier League, while also losing in both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals.
They won the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup and were eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals.
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Towards the end of the campaign, Chelsea faced huge uncertainty at board level, as Roman Abramovich’s assets were frozen following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Todd Boehly’s Clearlake takeover was eventually completed, with the American opting to sack Tuchel following an underwhelming start to the 2022-23 season and a breakdown in their relationship, replacing him with Graham Potter.
Forgotten England stars could benefit from Tuchel appointment
WITH Thomas Tuchel in the frame to be the next England manager, a few forgotten stars might be hopeful of a return to the international set up.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich manager usually uses a 3-4-3 formation.
That could provide an opening for Mason Mount, who’s not been involved in the England set-up since the World Cup in 2022.
The now Manchester United star enjoyed his most successful spell under Tuchel while the pair were at Stamford Bridge.
Tuchel could also offer lifelines to other previously capped players such as Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Eric Dier.
RLC has excelled since his move to AC Milan and with England struggling to find a partner for Rice, he could be the surprise answer.
Meanwhile, Dier played for Tuchel at Bayern Munich as part of a back-three last season.
The defender did enough to convince the club to make his loan move permanent after he had fallen out of favour at Tottenham.
Click here to see the full England XI who could play under Tuchel.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
