Tuchel England manager LIVE: New assistant revealed for Three Lions boss

Thomas Tuchel has provided some initial thoughts to taking on the England manager job and says he is ‘proud to be given the honour’.

Tuchel 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 and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”

FA CEO Mark Bullingham 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.

“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 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.

“I would like to thank Lee [Carsley] for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway. He will now focus on retaining the U21 Euro title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and MU21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”

The FA has released a statement this morning announcing that Thomas Tuchel will indeed be the next permanent England manager. It reads:

“The FA has announced that Uefa Champions League winner Thomas Tuchel is the new England senior men’s head coach and will be assisted by internationally renowned English coach Anthony Barry. Tuchel returns to English football after a trophy-laden period with Chelsea who he led to become European and world champions, having also been successful at elite level in Germany and France.

“In addition, he was voted Uefa and Fifa’s coach of the year in 2021 in recognition of his work in England. His arrival at The FA concludes an extensive recruitment search which began in July, just after the Three Lions’ run to the Uefa Euro 2024 final.

“The confidential process, which saw several candidates interviewed, was led by FA CEO Mark Bullingham and men’s technical director John McDermott, and saw Tuchel identified as the preferred appointment. The decision to recruit Tuchel and Barry was approved by the FA Board early last week, with Tuchel signing his contract on Tuesday 8 October.

“The announcement was delayed to minimise distraction around the international camp that has just concluded. The pair will begin work on 1 January 2025 ahead of the qualification process for the following year’s Fifa World Cup finals, due to be staged in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

“Tuchel’s impressive list of coaching honours includes league titles in France and Germany, twice with Paris Saint-Germain and most recently with Bayern Munich in the 2022/23 season, having won his first major trophy in 2017 when Borussia Dortmund lifted the German Cup. Tuchel will be reunited with Barry, having worked closely with the Englishman at Chelsea and Bayern and where together they won four trophies between both clubs.

“Liverpool-born Barry, who is a Uefa Pro licence holder, has significant international pedigree, notably working with Belgium and Portugal at the 2022 Fifa World Cup and Uefa Euro 2024 respectively. The pair will bring a small backroom team with them to St. George’s Park, with a further coaching update expected in the near future.

“Interim head coach Lee Carsley will remain in charge of the Three Lions through to the conclusion of the Uefa Nations League group stage next month, with decisive games away to Greece and at home to Republic of Ireland. He will then return to lead England’s defence of their Uefa U21 Euro title, after qualification for the finals next summer was secured this weekend.”

Former Tottenham and Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp spoke about the reported appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the England manager and told Sky Sports News: “I’m very patriotic, I think we should have an English manager but obviously the field was very small to choose from.”

Redknapp added: “He’s [Tuchel] lost his job quite quickly at a couple of clubs. It’s not like he’s been a massive success. He’s come and gone at a couple of clubs.”

Pep Guardiola has left the door open to one day become manager of England after suggesting “anything can happen” in his future.

Guardiola’s contract with Manchester City runs out at the end of the season, adding to the uncertainty around the four-in-a-row champions amid a legal case brought on by the Premier League alleging more than 100 financial breaches, which City deny.

“Leaving City? It’s not true, I haven’t decided yet,” Guardiola said when asked about his future on Italian TV show Che tempo Che Fa.

“And it is not even true that I will be the next England coach. If I had decided I would say it… I don’t know either, anything can happen.”

The former Chelsea boss has reportedly signed a deal with the FA to take charge of the national team and will replace interim boss Lee Carsley in January 2025.

An announcement is expected later today to confirm the details of the appointment.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez spoke to the press after last night’s 0-0 draw with Scotland and was asked for his thoughts on Thomas Tuchel taking over the England manager role.

Martinez said: “He’s a wonderful coach, he’s someone that has won the Champions League, he knows the Premier League inside out. I think he’s someone that is going to bring a fantastic level and carry on what Gareth Southgate’s done.

“I said it many times, he did an amazing job with England and I think Thomas can do a great job too.”

After a modest playing record, Thomas Tuchel has carved out quite the career on the touchline at some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

2009-14 Mainz: 183 matches W72 D45 L66

2015-17 Borussia Dortmund: 107 matches W69 D20 L18

2018-20 PSG: 127 matches W96 D11 L20

2021-22 Chelsea: 100 matches W63 D19 L18

2023-24 Bayern Munich: 61 matches W37 D8 L16

England had been seeking a trophy-winner as their next manager, and Thomas Tuchel fits the bill – his tenures can sometimes be tempestuous but the German has quite the haul in his managerial career:

Tuchel’s full list of silverware:

• 1x Champions League
• 1x FIFA Club World Cup
• 1x German Champion
• 2x French Champion
• 1x German Cup
• 1x UEFA Super Cup
• 1x French Cup
• 1x French League Cup
• 2x French Super Cup

Gary Lineker has revealed who his preferred choice for the England manager’s job is.

Thomas Tuchel is set to be appointed by the FA but, speaking on his The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker admitted he would have gone in a different direction.

“I’d have given the job to [interim boss] Lee Carsley,” he said. “I have seen enough to suggest to me the players really trust him.

“And he is imaginative enough to produce something that is a joy to watch, is entertaining and front-footed football. I’d have gone for Lee Carsley (but) it is not my job to pick people like that.”