England players need ‘social skills’ for World Cup says Thomas Tuchel

“The players were successful when they felt like they had the right group in the camp, when they knew their roles, why they were in the camp, what was expected of them, when they felt like the tournament could go on for another four weeks and they would be happy to be together.

“It will be very important that we select not just on talent but also on what we need from a player.

“What are the social skills of a player? Is he a good teammate? If his role is a support role, can he provide support? So that’s where the focus is.”

England have reached the last two Euro finals and were World Cup semi-finalists under Southgate in 2018.

They will face Croatia on June 17 in Arlington, Texas, at the start of a potentially long tournament.

“By May we will have a lot of players who we hope will play for international championships, they will play for national championships and we will demand; the World Cup will demand a lot from them,” Tuchel said.

“Then if we make it to the end we hope to be together for six to eight weeks.

“This will require a lot of social skills, how we come together as a group, and getting the nomination right.

“We have to find the right balance within the team and take it as an opportunity and take part in the World Cup as a dream come true, and hopefully playing an important role is nothing but a dream.”