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England have appointed Thomas Tuchel as their new national team manager with a major focus on the 2026 World Cup.
Lee Carsley had been in interim charge following Gareth Southgate’s decision to retire as England manager, but amid an ill-fated home defeat to Greece, the Football Association had already decided to look elsewhere.
Tuchel, who spoke to the media for the first time on Wednesday, will become the third foreign manager of the men’s senior team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello, with Carsley reportedly set to return to his previous role with the under-21s.
He has already managed in the Premier League with Chelsea, as well as stints at Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
Here, the Independent takes a look at which players could capitalise on the new appointment and who will find themselves with a point to prove.
Winners:
Ben White
White left the 2022 World Cup mid-tournament for personal reasons and has not been selected for a national team since, and has just four caps to his name.
All of those came under Gareth Southgate’s tenure, and could a new manager tempt the Arsenal right back back into the international fold? It feels unlikely but there is always a chance he could be tempted.
Ahead of the most recent international matches, the Chelsea winger had only started in two of his nine international caps. But a new manager could offer him an opportunity to cement a spot in the starting XI.
Although the pair never overlapped during Tuchel’s spell in charge of Chelsea, it will be interesting to see how the German manages the young England star who has been so significant to his former side.
Marcus Rashford
The Manchester United forward has not been a part of any England squad since he was left out of the provisional squad for Euro 2024 in the summer.
Rashford netted 17 goals in 60 matches for England but in recent months has struggled for form for his club, and has scored four times this season, of which two came against League One side Barnsley.
A new manager may offer Rashford a chance in the prospect of a reset, but his club form would likely have to improve before he is considered for selection.
Losers:
Jordan Pickford
Pickford has been England’s undisputed number one under Southgate, and has a strong record for the national side.
However, Dean Henderson was called up for the match against Finland and Pickford has been more inconsistent for Everton than he has for England.
Should Tuchel decide to draw a clean slate under previous form, he may look at Pickford differently and the goalkeeper would have to step up.
Harry Maguire
Maguire made more than 60 appearances for Southgate’s England, but missed the most recent Euros with a calf injury.
He was relied upon by Southgate to do a role alongside John Stones, but he will be well into his 30s by the time the 2026 World Cup comes around, and could find himself out in the cold with the new manager.
Conor Gallagher
Gallagher struggled for England during the Euros in the summer when asked to fill an unfamiliar role in midfield.
Thomas Tuchel was at Chelsea when Gallagher was sent out on loan to Crystal Palace, a club he starred for during the 2021-22 season.
But that history could count against the midfielder, who was sold to Atletico Madrid by Chelsea in a bid to boost their finances.
