England manager Thomas Tuchel has opened up about the possibility of him singing the national anthem before matches, stating he wants to feel he has 'earned the right' to do so.
The Anthem Dilemma
The German coach, who is England's third foreign manager, confirmed he is considering joining in with 'God Save The King' at next summer's World Cup. His comments come after he secured England's qualification for the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada with a perfect record.
Under his leadership, the team has won all seven competitive games without conceding a single goal. Despite this impressive start, Tuchel remains undecided on whether he has met his own personal criteria to sing.
"You think it is already there? I will think about it," Tuchel said when questioned. "Yeah, maybe. Let's see."
Midfield Selection Explained
Tuchel also addressed his decision to name star midfielder Jude Bellingham as a substitute for Thursday's 2-0 victory over Serbia at Wembley. The Real Madrid player, who was left out of the squad in October, was omitted from the starting line-up in favour of Morgan Rogers.
Bellingham came off the bench and played a part in the build-up to Eberechi Eze's goal, which sealed the win. Tuchel insisted that the decision was taken well and was based on tactical reasoning.
"It was no problem at all," Tuchel stated. "I explained it to him before the meeting. We had three fantastic performances with Morgan, so one reason was to keep him in that position."
The manager elaborated that the established pressing structure between Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, and Harry Kane was a key factor, noting it would have been unfair to introduce Bellingham into a newly modified pressing system without that prior understanding.
A Squad Brotherhood
Throughout his remarks, Tuchel conveyed a sense of a strong, unified group. He believes there is a genuine brotherhood among the players in the England squad, a factor that has contributed to their flawless qualifying campaign and clean sheet record.
As the World Cup approaches, all eyes will be on whether the successful German coach feels he has finally earned the right to fully embrace the English anthem on the world's biggest stage.
