LONDON: Thomas Tuchel said his England team must reflect the physicality of the Premier League as he hopes to inject more “intensity” into the Three Lions.

The German’s appointment as the third foreign manager to take charge of England has raised the pressure on Tuchel to deliver a first major trophy since 1966 at next year’s World Cup.

After consecutive European Championship final defeats under Gareth Southgate, plus semi-final and quarter-final exits at the past two World Cups, the English Football Association has invested heavily in Tuchel’s track record as a serial winner.

The 51-year-old guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021 and also won league titles at Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain.

Tuchel, though, said he is hoping to deploy the pace and power of the Premier League, rather than a continental influence, as he looks to shape his England team.

“The Premier League is a very physically demanding league, is a very direct league and I think we should be brave enough to play like an England squad and should not try to copy other nations’ styles too much,” Tuchel said after naming his first squad on Friday for World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

“I think it should reflect the values of the country and of the strongest league in the world, which is the Premier League. I think we need to increase the rhythm and intensity of our game compared to our last matches. This is where the focus is and then hopefully it’s an exciting watch and we have the effect that we wish for.”

Recalls for Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson, the 34-year-old currently struggling to earn a starting place for Ajax Amsterdam, were the headline news from Tuchel’s first squad.

Ordinarily, a recall for 60-cap striker Rashford, on loan at Aston Villa after being frozen out at Manchester United, or even the continued loyalty to defender Kyle Walker, might have been key talking points.

But Henderson’s inclusion at the expense of the likes of Crystal Palace youngster Adam Wharton or Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, especially with Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo injured, was the talk of the gathered media.

Asked to explain, Tuchel said there was no reason why Henderson could not be part of the squad for the World Cup finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year.

“It’s a pretty easy one. Jordan is, first of all, a serial winner. He’s captain of Ajax,” he told reporters. “What he brings to every team is leadership, his character, personality, energy. Makes sure that everyone lives by the standards. And Jordan brings everything. He embodies everything that we want from this team.”

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2025