England have today announced that former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel will be the permanent successor to Gareth Southgate for the Three Lions.
Blues fans were over the moon when reports began to accelerate that he was in the running for the job, and it has not taken long for the news to be confirmed.
Tuchel was never wanting to leave Chelsea in the first place, so a return to England is likely to have been high on his list of agendas after leaving Bayern Munich.
Tuchel is the first foreign manager the Three Lions have had since Fabio Capello, and other candidates being reported for the role were from England, including his Chelsea replacement Graham Potter.
Therefore, there will no doubt be some who are concerned about the status of English coaches in the game.
Neville disappointed by Thomas Tuchel hiring
One of those seems to be Gary Neville. When speaking to Sky Sports, he said he was disappointed this is the route the FA went down.
He said: “Well they’ve got a great coach, of that there’s no doubt. Thomas Tuchel’s got a proven track record, he’s also proven that he can win big knockout matches, so I think from that point of view the FA cannot be criticised. They’ve probably got the best available coach in the world at this time. So fitting that criteria, spot on.
“I’m not sure it fits the criteria of St George’s Park, and the belief in English coaches, and the actual growth in the English team’s performance in the last seven or eight years.
“It’s difficult for English coaches to get the top jobs in the Premier League, but it’s now gone to an international manager, and it’s not really about Thomas Tuchel but there is an element of disappointment in my head thinking the FA have gone to an international coach.”
Attention will soon turn to which of the players he has coached during his time at Chelsea will feature in his England setup.
Tuchel a big fan of Raheem Sterling
He was a notable fan of Raheem Sterling during their time together at Stamford Bridge, and could have an appetite to have some familiar faces in his first England squad f his performances warrant it on loan.
Reece James will also be hopeful that he can stay fit and prove to his former manager that he should be considered for a role in his starting side going forwards.
The question over Levi Colwill featuring may crop up, with it being noted at the time he was in charge at Chelsea that Tuchel wasn’t against him leaving.
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