England squad: Talking points as Thomas Tuchel makes shock Henderson call, leaves out Nottingham Forest players
Updated 14/03/2025 at 14:28 GMT
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Thomas Tuchel named his first squad on Friday ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia later this month, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn all involved. Here is an assessment of why Tuchel may have made his selections, and why certain star names, such as Morgan Gibbs-White, Adam Wharton and Djed Spence, will be feeling hard done by.
Nwaneri perhaps most exciting young player in Europe, should go straight into Tuchel’s squad - Cole
Video credit: TNT Sports
Thomas Tuchel named his first England squad on Friday ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia later this month.
The German is known to have monitored and been in contact with some 55 players, and after an "intense process" has whittled that number down to a 26-man squad for the Wembley double-header.
Here are some of the notable inclusions and exclusions from Tuchel’s first squad.
Dan Burn included, No Djed Spence, Harry Maguire
Dan Burn's selection was perhaps the most left-field, with the 32-year-old Newcastle defender having never featured for England at any level.
However, the 32-year-old offers versatility, having played at centre-back and left-back throughout his time at Newcastle and Brighton. Tuchel, moreover, stressed that he selected the Blyth-born defender partly for his leadership skills.
While a consistent performer, Burn’s involvement is noteworthy when considering the absence of the vastly-experienced Harry Maguire and the versatile Rico Lewis
Djed Spence could also feel hard done by, given the right-back has proven his versatility while operating on Tottenham’s left flank this term.
The 24-year-old made his first start for Tottenham on December 15, some two and a half years after signing for the club, but has since started 10 league games,
As per The Times, Spence has attempted and completed the most dribbles per 90 of any defender in the Premier League while he has also won the highest number of duels.
Rashford included, no Nwaneri
Marcus Rashford's recall is among the biggest talking points. The 27-year-old has 60 caps for England, but fell out of favour under Gareth Southgate following a dip in form at Manchester United and missed out on last summer's UEFA European Championship.
In January, however, Rashford moved to Aston Villa, where he is yet to score but has chipped in with four assists.
"He’s had a huge impact lately in the matches at Aston Villa," said Tuchel. "I was delighted to see his effort on the ball and his effort to be the best team-mate possible and his consistent energy."
A player who hoped to operate on the opposite flank was Arsenal's 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri. The youngster was tipped for a call-up by the likes of TNT pundit Joe Cole, having scored eight goals in 28 games for the north Londoners this term.
Yet, Tuchel's first squad has seemingly come too soon for the teenager.
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Nwaneri perhaps most exciting young player in Europe, should go straight into Tuchel’s squad - Cole
Video credit: TNT Sports
Henderson recall, no Wharton, Gomes
Jordan Henderson has been selected ahead of Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Lille’s Angel Gomes.
The 34-year-old made his senior Three Lions debut under the last non-English manager, Fabio Capello in 2010, and last featured against Malta in November 2023.
"I think his career and the way he plays now and imposes himself at Ajax is just so impressive," said Tuchel. "He builds on character, personality and energy that he brings to the team."
Henderson is enjoying an Indian summer at Ajax, who are eight points clear at the top of the Eredivisie, but his inclusion could be considered bold given the form of Wharton over the past month and Gomes’ involvement in the past two squads.
On the latter, Lee Carsley’s cohort have been largely dropped, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and the admittedly-injured Noni Madueke also not featuring.
No Nottingham Forest players
Eberechi Eze has been selected despite a relatively underwhelming campaign that has seen the Crystal Palace attacker net just two goals and register six assists in his 24 Premier League appearances.
While Eze is arguably among the most balletic dribblers in the league and accustomed to playing the 3-4-3 system preferred by Tuchel when he was Chelsea boss, his inclusion appears generous when considering Gibbs-White’s performances at Nottingham Forest.
While Gibbs-White’s numbers in the league - five goals, six assists - are only slightly superior to Eze’s, the 25-year-old has been a talismanic figure in Forest’s battle for UEFA Champions League qualification.
He is also consistent. As per The Athletic, Gibbs-White has totted up more league assists than Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard since Forest’s return to the top flight three seasons ago.
Indeed, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Elliot Anderson, who could also count themselves among the best performing players in the Premier League this season, will be feeling hard done by this morning.
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Dominic Solanke in, Liam Delap and Welbeck out
Captain and England's record scorer Harry Kane’s inclusion will come as no surprise, but Dominic Solanke may feel rather fortunate to be selected as understudy amid a spate of injury issues.
Solanke has had a relatively successful campaign since completing a £65 million transfer from Bournemouth last summer, claiming 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions.
However, he missed 10 games with a knee injury between January and March, and is only tentatively returning to full-time action. He has been included ahead of Aston Villa frontman Ollie Watkins, who has registered 14 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.
Meanwhile, Ipswich’s Liam Delap - 10 goals, two assists - had been tipped by many to be included, and Danny Welbeck’s resurgence - eight goals, four assists - had sparked some talk of a recall, some seven years after his last England performance.
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