Three Times of “Three Lions” in Tuchel's Choice

It is somewhat difficult to interpret Thomas Tuchel's mindset regarding the latest England national team squad. The head coach of the "Three Lions" seems to prioritize the future by calling up several young players, but this is contradicted by the return of some "aged" players.

Two 34-year-old players, wing-backs Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker, are included in Tuchel's first squad to face the international break in mid to late March 2025. The presence of these two veteran figures has received less-than-positive responses from the English public.

It is only natural; they have already passed their golden era. Henderson departed from the English Premier League in mid-2023 and sought opportunities in "second-tier" leagues, such as Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands. Walker has experienced a significant decline this season at Manchester City, eventually leading to his loan transfer to AC Milan.

The call-up of Walker is still understandable. Liverpool's wing-back Trent Alexander-Arnold is currently injured. Arsenal's wing-back Ben White, who once declined a call-up during Gareth Southgate's era, has recommitted. However, White has only recently recovered from knee injury surgery.

Unlike the case of Henderson, who was last called up in November 2023 and excluded from the 2024 European Championship squad, several rising midfielders had to lose their spots, including Conor Gallagher (25), Adam Wharton (21), and Morgan Gibbs-White (25).

Gallagher is currently a key player for head coach Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid. There are not many English players who excel abroad, but Gallagher is one of them. Gibbs-White has successfully inspired the mid-tier team Nottingham Forest to reach third place in the current English Premier League standings.

Tuchel instead stated that it was not difficult to choose the former England national team captain. "He is a winner, the current captain of Ajax (Amsterdam) who has played in many matches. He always brings energy and strong character. Jordan embodies everything we want from this team," he said.

Henderson has always been the backbone of the “Three Lions” since the 2018 World Cup to the 2022 World Cup. The player's best achievement with 81 appearances with the national team was bringing England to the final of the 2020 European Cup. "Jordan is a big piece for our puzzle," added Tuchel.

Henderson represents England's past. On the other hand, there is also a figure who represents the future in Tuchel's squad, namely 18-year-old full-back Myles Lewis-Skelly. The Arsenal player is called up to the senior team for the first time in his career.

Around 15 months ago, Lewis-Skelly was still part of the age group squad at the 2023 Indonesia U-17 World Cup. He has developed rapidly in recent months, after being given the chance to make his debut for Arsenal's senior team in September last year.

According to Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, the call-up of his protégé was very appropriate. "It's a story that gives a lot of hope to young players. In six months, you can change your career so dramatically. Thomas is a great coach, I believe he will treat (Lewis-Skelly) right," he said.

Another player in the left wing-back position is no less interesting, namely Dan Burn. The Newcastle United player was also called up for the first time. The difference is, Burn is already 32 years old or almost twice Lewis-Skelly's age. "Their paths are very different for the first call-up," said Tuchel.

Burn is no longer young, but has been very consistent with Newcastle this season. He has played 35 times in all competitions. In addition to being on the wing, Burn can also play as a center back. The tall player at 1.98 meters will add to England's advantages in terms of physicality and strategic flexibility.

From the case of Burn and Lewis-Skelly, it can be concluded that Tuchel does not look at age in calling players. The player's performance trend is everything. They both got their first chance even though they were in a less than ideal age category.

That performance trend was also the biggest factor in the return of veteran striker Marcus Rashford after missing the European Championship. Although he only shone again after being loaned to Aston Villa from Manchester United in January 2025, Rashford has been enough to convince Tuchel.

“There is no doubt about (Rashford’s) talent and quality,” Tuchel said. “But when I saw him playing convincingly and physically involved, I knew it was the right time to call him up. Hopefully it can be an extra boost to keep him at this level,” he continued.

Tuchel, during his coaching at big clubs, is known as a figure rich in tactics. He is also always flexible in player placement. That may have influenced Rashford's call-up. "Rashford can play on the left, right, or as a second striker," said Villa Head Coach Unai Emery.

The current Three Lions star players are back, including Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Phil Foden. Only midfielder Jack Grealish, a regular in the national team, is missing despite not being injured.

If you look deeper, Tuchel actually has no absolute standards in choosing players. All are chosen according to the needs to fill the pieces until they are complete. That's what makes the team seem to be oriented towards three periods at once, namely the past, present, and future.

There are players who are taken because of their experience. There are also those who are because of their talent and performance trends. This suggests that Tuchel is still feeling his way in his first international break. The German needs time to get to know the England squad better. (AP/REUTERS)

Thomas Tuchel's first England squad

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Aaron Ramsdale (Southampton), James Trafford (Burnley)

Defenders: Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Reece James (Chelsea), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool), Dan Burn (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Milan), Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Jordan Henderson (Ajax), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham Hotspur), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)