Thomas Tuchel has revealed he regrets not eating grass from the pitch following England's 3-2 win over Mexico at the World Cup. The Three Lions boss, speaking on the FA's official website, said he wanted to keep the memory of the moment 'in my body forever'.
Tuchel's unusual confession
Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane both scored in the win that sent England into the quarter-finals against Norway. Reminiscing on the result, Tuchel said: "If you needed any proof of what it meant to these players and how they were with each other, it was the moment when Jordan (Henderson) fell over and broke his arm (after the final whistle)."
He added: "Like within a second, every single player was there stopping the celebrations, building a shield, protecting Jordan, not going nowhere in full empathy. It was just so special."
A moment to remember
Tuchel continued: "I texted a friend after the match and I just wrote that I regret that I didn’t eat some grass after the match to keep something (from the experience) in my body forever. That was the feeling. That was the moment."
Despite falling to Argentina in the semi-final, Tuchel believes a bond has formed between himself and the players. The 52-year-old said: "There’s a huge bond to these players, it feels like they are my players now."
Looking ahead to the Nations League
Tuchel will select his Nations League squad on Friday after collecting a bronze medal in the summer. England's campaign begins with a visit from Spain on September 26, with three matches lined up in the competition.
Tuchel said: "I’m happy to see them, I’m happy to challenge them. I’m happy to push them and very proud to be a part of that. I’m excited to work with these players. I’m excited to have new young players that we can bring into camp and they can learn."
He added: "I think we got another step closer and I think we’re there. It’s very difficult to prepare for a World Cup in the US. But I think it’s possible to prepare for a Euros. The target is to have another ten matches. We had ten matches in the US, eight wins, one draw, one painful loss. But that is something to build on. We have all the right to hold our heads high and go with courage and positivity into the next challenges."
