Thomas Tuchel has already been ‘disappointed’ by Nottingham Forest star’s England snub

The appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the next manager of the England national football team and Gareth Southgate’s replacement has been confirmed.

The 51-year-old is known for creating teams that contend for the sport’s biggest trophies and is a serial winner. His brief with the Three Lions will be that.

His name is already well-known in English football because he managed Chelsea for 20 months, helping them win the UEFA Super Cup, FIFA World Club Cup, and a second Champions League championship.
Although Hudson-Odoi spent a large portion of his playing time under Tuchel at Chelsea in a different position rather than as a winger, the possibility of the two being reunited at the international level may come with a warning.

From January 2021 to September 2022, Tuchel worked with Callum Hudson-Odoi, a current Nottingham Forest star. He gave the teenager a fair amount of first team experience before sending him on loan to Bayer Leverkusen, one month before the German left the Blues.

“It has nothing to do with the club’s or my opinion; it’s his decision. If I were to venture a guess, I would say it has to do with dissatisfaction that he was not selected for the first team, but it’s also possible that he didn’t play enough minutes to qualify. Being in a leading role for the Under 21s and getting some minutes was something I could see as an improvement.

Then speaking in September 2021 Tuchel said of Hudson-Odoi: “He is able to play as a right wing-back, left wing-back, he can play in these extra positions, he knows the group and we know him very well.”

Tuchel also worked with Hudson-Odoi at a time when, in August 2021, he rejected the chance to play for England Under-21s – he did so having already won three senior caps in 2019 and with Tuchel saying he deserved a call-up to the full squad. Instead Hudson-Odoi chose to remain with his club to press his case for more domestic football.