Thomas Tuchel admits he HASN’T picked England’s ’26 most talented players’ for the World Cup and axed big names including Harry Maguire to have an ‘unselfish’ team

England coach Thomas Tuchel says that the England squad he will take to the World Cup consists of “selfish” and “100 percent determined” players rather than the most talented football players. This is clearly aimed at those who will be left at home.

Tuchel named his 26-man squad heading to the United States today, confirming high-profile omissions from the squad leaked on Thursday night: leaving Harry Maguire, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Lewis Hall and Luke Shaw at home.

These moves were met with anger by some England fans and Maguire’s family. His mother said he was “absolutely disgusted” and his wife, Fern, said she was “against one view”.

But Tuchel wants a good traveling party to the United States. On Friday, he talked about selecting players who are “dedicated,” “have soul” and are “unselfish.”

“I think from day one we were very clear that we were trying to pick and build the best team possible, which doesn’t necessarily mean picking the 26 most talented players,” Tuchel said.

Harry Maguire’s wife Fern targets Tuchel for leaving her husband out of the squad

Phil Foden and Cole Palmer also stay at home as they were not selected by Tuchel

‘Teams become champions, it’s that simple. Only as a team can we achieve what we are trying to achieve in the summer.

‘I can assure every fan in the country that there are 26 players among us who are 100 percent committed. ‘Those who know their role, are ready to embrace their role on and off the field, and are ready and committed to the idea of ​​team spirit and selflessness.’

On Maguire’s specific reaction, he added: ‘I was a bit surprised but I have a lot of respect for his personality, I have a lot of respect for his quality. He had a quality season. I can understand your frustration. I can see the reason behind your disappointment.

‘I was a little surprised though since we were having a private conversation. He had a chance to express his feelings and he did so. That’s fair enough because I can see all the reasons why he could be on the team. But the decision is that we stood tall by our defenders who carried us to September, October and November.

‘Some of them are part of a leadership group that has taken ownership and set the standards high… and even though it may have seemed like it was against those players, it was a decision for 26 players.’

Tuchel has called on Liverpool’s Rio Ngumoha, Bournemouth star Alex Scott and Fulham’s Josh King to travel to America as additional training players.

The squad began leaking on Thursday afternoon, with the Daily Mail publishing a series revealing who was included and who was excluded from Tuchel’s latest selection. This has now been confirmed.

Tuchel said: ‘There were difficult phone calls. For some, having a balanced squad is just a positional thing, so we’re not bringing in five number 10s. As painful as it is, I think this is the right call for England.

‘It is truly exciting and a great privilege to be able to select England’s squad for the World Cup. Deciding on the candidacy was a difficult process, but I have full faith in this group of players. They all deserve their place.’

England’s World Cup squad has been confirmed and it is the same squad the Daily Mail published on Thursday night.

Jude Bellingham will be a key man for England and has few rivals for 10th place

Fans were stunned by some of Tuchel’s big-name omissions, particularly regarding Maguire, Palmer, Foden and Alexander-Arnold.

Supporters of the Three Lions shared their thoughts on social media and the consensus was overwhelmingly against Tuchel.

Content creator Tom Garratt wrote of X: “Saying no to Lewis Hall borders on treason.” “Can’t the king intervene?”

‘When you really think about it,’ Rory Jennings said, ‘it’s a shame that Thomas Tuchel is England manager, it’s a national shame.’

@Gideoomatic said: ‘Tuchel has somehow managed to unite the entire English fanbase, quite impressive actually.’

‘Tuchel has lost his mind,’ said another fan. ‘So what?’

Maguire broke his silence on Thursday after it was revealed he had been left out of England’s 26-man squad despite an improvement in his form.

The Manchester United defender said he was shocked and upset by the decision to leave him at home, while his mother Zoe and brother Joe expressed their anger.