Thomas Tuchel has expressed his pride at being confirmed as England manager following the announcement of his appointment.
The German was confirmed as Gareth Southgate’s successor on Wednesday and will start work in early January, with Lee Carsley taking charge of the two remaining games in 2024.
He is the third foreign boss to be appointed manager of the men’s team, and a press conference about the appointment is expected to take place at Wembley soon.
Tuchel’s appointment ended a nearly three-month search for an appointment that included the likes of Pep Guardiola and Carsley, as well as, according to a report, Carlo Ancelotti among others.
However, the German won the race and has now broken his silence on his new role, citing his connection to English football as a key selling point.
New England manager Thomas Tuchel has revealed his pride as he was 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 with the game in this country’ was a key factor in his decision
“I am very proud to have been given the honor of leading the England team,” he began. ‘I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has already given me some incredible moments.
‘To have the opportunity 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 would like to thank the FA, especially Mark [Bulllingham] and John [McDermott]for their trust and I look 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 Belgium and Portugal, among others.
“For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the highlight and I had no hesitation when Thomas asked me to join him again,” Barry said of his own appointment. “I know what a great place St. George’s Park is and how much benefit it gives to our England teams, and how much support it gives to coaches.
“This team is very talented and has done so much to bring the country together. I look forward to meeting them and working with them on this exciting project.”
Meanwhile, FA chief executive Bullingham said: ‘We are delighted to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world, and Anthony Barry, one of the best English coaches, to support him.
Tuchel enjoyed a spell at Chelsea and thanked the FA for confirming his appointment
He is assisted by Anthony Barry (pictured), who has worked alongside him at Chelsea
“Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the European Championships we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we were looking for in a coach. Since Gareth [Southgate] resigned, we went through the candidate pool, met with some coaches and assessed them against those criteria.
‘Thomas made an impression and stood out because of his great expertise and drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience in Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
‘Basically 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 exactly that. “Thomas and the team have one goal: to give us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.”