England manager Thomas Tuchel has reversed a rule imposed by his predecessor Gareth Southgate, allowing players' wives and girlfriends into the team's World Cup training base in Florida. The decision marks a significant shift from previous policy, which had restricted access to players and staff only.
Jude Bellingham's girlfriend Ashlyn Castro is reported to have travelled four hours to Tampa for England's warm-up match against New Zealand last week. Harry Kane's wife Kate and Kobbie Mainoo's partner Layla Roye are also believed to have visited the hotel in West Palm Beach before the squad moves to Kansas City for the tournament.
A source told The Sun: 'It's very unusual for them to spend so much time with the footballers before the World Cup. But Tuchel wants his pre-tournament camp relaxed before heading to Kansas.' The German manager has also planned time off for the team after their second warm-up game against Costa Rica, which England won 3-0.
During the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Southgate had banned partners from staying with the squad, though they were allowed to join players after the opening match against Iran. For Euro 2024, partners were permitted into the training base after each group fixture. Southgate was also known to dislike the term 'WAG', considering it disrespectful.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford welcomed the change, saying: 'The tournament for us doesn't start until June 17. So, I think this is going to be train hard, get used to the climate, have a bit of freedom, bit of downtime.' The presence of players' families at tournaments has historically been a subject of debate, with some blaming them for past defeats.
