England: A squad of surprises as Tuchel opts for veterans over youth

Thomas Tuchel was always going to do it his way – and his first squad certainly shows the German won’t always conform to England fans’ wishes.

His predecessor, at least on an interim basis, Lee Carsley experimented, potentially paving the way for Tuchel to select a young, exciting squad. But, instead, the former Chelsea boss has opted for experience over youth.

We should caveat this by pointing out some of the call-ups are out of necessity, and merely plugging gaps due to a lengthy injury list which has deprived the new manager from several go-to players.

The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, John Stones, Kobbie Mainoo and Bukayo Saka would surely all have been involved if fit.

It’s time to reveal Thomas Tuchel’s first #ThreeLions squad! 👀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

— England (@England) March 14, 2025

Here, we look at some of Tuchel’s surprising decisions.

Goalkeepers

Nothing wrong with the names called-up but four goalkeepers does seem unnecessary. James Trafford is a welcome inclusion given his form for Championship high-flyers Burnley.

Defence

Everton centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite is regarded as one of the best young centre-halves in the Premier League.

For all Everton’s problems, although they seem to be easing under David Moyes, Branthwaite has been a beacon of light for Toffees fans.

Instead, Tuchel has gone for Dan Burn. Burn is a solid pro, and performs on a consistent basis for Newcastle each week, but he is two months shy of his 33rd birthday.

Kyle Walker has also been included despite a torrid first half of the season at Manchester City. He has been performing regularly since joining AC Milan but this appears another regressive selection ahead of Tottenham’s Djed Spence, who can also play in both full-back roles.

The positive is the call-up of Myles Lewis-Skelly. The teenager has been a stand-out for Arsenal this season and, hopefully, he can be the answer to the Three Lions’ long-standing problems at left-back.

Midfield

The eye-opening inclusion is that of Jordan Henderson. It was thought England had moved on from the former Liverpool captain who now plays for Ajax after a short spell in Saudi Arabia. But the 34-year-old was given the nod over Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton and Conor Gallagher of Atletico Madrid.

That seems a surprise given Wharton’s form for Palace in the Premier League while Gallagher was excellent against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Morgan Gibbs-White, a key man in Nottingham Forest’s remarkable season, also misses out.

Returning to the #ThreeLions squad 🦁

Welcome back, lads! 👊 pic.twitter.com/k1AZaTkjeF

— England (@England) March 14, 2025

Attack

Fewer surprises here although it is assumed Ollie Watkins’ absence is due to an injury he sustained playing for Aston Villa against Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

Marcus Rashford has sparkled since leaving Manchester United for Villa, but Phil Foden has gone the other way and can count himself fortunate to be included.

Saka’s injury has paved the way for Ethan Nwaneri to emerge as a genuine star at Arsenal. Despite his recent performances, however, he has not done enough to convince Tuchel he deserves a place.