Thomas Tuchel has revealed his pride at being confirmed as England’s manager following the announcement of his appointment.
The German was confirmed as Gareth Southgate’s successor on Wednesday, and will start work at the beginning of January, with Lee Carsley to take charge of the two games remaining in 2024.
He is the third foreign boss to be appointed manager of the men’s team, and a press conference on the back of the appointment is expected to be held at Wembley soon.
Tuchel’s appointment ended a near-three-month search for an appointment , with the likes of Pep Guardiola and Carsley considered, as well as, according to a report, the likes of Carlo Ancelotti.
The German, however, won the race and has now broken his silence on his new role, referencing his connection with English football as a major selling point.
New England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed his pride at being announced as the Three Lions boss
The German’s appointment was confirmed on Wednesday morning and he will start work in January
Tuchel revealed that ‘a personal connection to the game in this country’ was a key factor in his decision
‘I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team,’ he began. ‘I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already.
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‘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 [Barry] 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 [Bulllingham] and John [McDermott], for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.’
Anthony Barry will assist Tuchel, having worked with the coach at both Chelsea and Bayern Munich. From Liverpool, he has also worked with the likes of Belgium and Portugal.
‘For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again,’ Barry said upon his own appointment. ‘I know what a great place St. George’s Park is and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.
‘This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.’
Bullingham, meanwhile, who is the CEO of the FA, said: ‘We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry, who is one of the best English coaches to support him.
Tuchel enjoyed a stint at Chelsea, and thanked the FA upon the confirmation of his appointment
He will be assisted by Anthony Barry (pictured), having worked alongside him at Chelsea
‘Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach. Since Gareth [Southgate] resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.
‘Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
‘Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.’
