Thomas Tuchel has named his World Cup squad, and the father of England’s youngest ever international has sent a heartfelt message to the families of the players chosen to carry the nation’s hopes. The Three Lions boss caused both joy and heartache as he selected his 26 players aiming for glory in the United States next month. Harry Maguire’s mother has already taken to social media to express her disappointment that her son was dropped. However, in an exclusive interview with the Mirror, Theo Walcott’s father Don said: “The players and their families must savour and treasure every single moment. Take everything in and enjoy it.”
Don, 67, a grandfather of seven, recalled: “When Theo was picked by Sven Goran Eriksson in 2006, we were so excited. We had such a great time in Baden Baden, but as a family we took it all in, and we have very special memories. It was a special time, and we made friends for life during those weeks. But it does go so very quickly – I can’t believe it’s now 20 years on. To share that experience with family and friends was really special.”
He added: “I can remember being invited to the team barbecue, and David and Victoria Beckham were sitting behind me. I was holding my baby grandson Sebastian – who is now 21 – and saw Beckham chasing after his kids. There was no social media really then. No Instagram … perhaps that’s what made it so special.”
Former Arsenal, Everton, and Southampton star Theo was the surprise pick for the 2006 tournament as a 17-year-old. He remains the youngest man ever to play for the Three Lions, aged just 17 years and 75 days when he played against Hungary in May 2006. A week later, he was on the flight to Germany for a memorable World Cup, where England crashed out in the quarter-finals.
Don reflected: “It was quite hard sometimes to support your child travelling up and down the country and around the world, but it was fantastic, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
Don, a passionate football fan, will not be travelling to the United States, Canada, and Mexico but remains hopeful of glory. He said: “I will be supporting England watching on the TV, and I think we can win it. We’ve got some great players.” England are based in Kansas City and will travel to Dallas, Boston, and New York for their three group games. The final will be played in New York on July 19th, where Tuchel hopes to lift England’s first trophy since 1966.
