Trevoh Chalobah has described his late call-up to England's World Cup squad as the number one highlight of his career, revealing the unique relationship he shares with manager Thomas Tuchel. The 26-year-old Chelsea defender was holidaying in New York when he received a text from Tuchel, who had initially left him out of the 26-man squad but summoned him after Tino Livramento suffered an injury on the eve of the tournament.
From Times Square to Kansas City
Chalobah admitted he deliberately chose New York because Tuchel had told him to 'stay ready' after the initial squad announcement. While sightseeing in Times Square, he missed Tuchel's message for two hours. 'I was literally in Times Square. I went to the shops to get something. It was when I got back to my hotel I saw Thomas had texted but it was two hours before. I wasn't on my phone and my heart just stopped,' Chalobah said.
Upon returning the call, Tuchel was smiling and said: 'I have got some news for you.' Chalobah immediately flew to Kansas City, while the rest of the squad headed to Dallas for their opening match against Croatia. A behind-closed-doors friendly was arranged to help him and other late additions gain match sharpness.
Emergency Kit and Boots Giveaway
One unexpected complication arose from Chalobah's end-of-season giveaway. 'Funnily enough, I gave away my boots at the end of the season in a giveaway,' he explained. 'My sponsors Reebok were sending some more across with my personal trainer but we had to speed up the process. But my first training session was on Saturday.' Having to wait a few extra days was no problem, given his long wait for a World Cup chance. He spent his time playing padel with teammates Ivan Toney and Ezri Konsa.
A Special Bond with Tuchel
Chalobah's relationship with Tuchel dates back to 2021, when the German handed him his Chelsea debut. Tuchel also gave him his England debut against Senegal in June 2025 and even tried to sign him for Bayern Munich. 'Yeah, when I was at Chelsea, he tried to bring me to Bayern. We've always had that special relationship. He's the one that gave me my debut in 2021 in my breakthrough season at Chelsea. My England debut as well. So we've always had that,' Chalobah said.
'We have that strong connection. Yeah, he's really fun! When I was at Chelsea, he was really demanding, which helped me. We have that really fun, banter relationship and I love it.'
Overcoming Career Setbacks
Chalobah's career has seen ups and downs. He joined Chelsea at age eight, went on loan to Ipswich, Huddersfield, Lorient, and Crystal Palace, and has often faced uncertainty at Stamford Bridge. Now, he is again seen as a squad player, but he draws inspiration from his faith. 'Faith has been one of my key things. Because of my faith, I know that those moments won't define me or who I am and I know what I've been through. I just use those moments as fuel to always prove people wrong and I love it,' he said.
He also recalled a tweet from 2018, during his loan at Ipswich, that read 'One Day' alongside a picture of the World Cup trophy. 'I remember I was on loan at Ipswich that year and that was when the World Cup was in Russia. And it has always been a dream and that day I decided to tweet it. I obviously believed one day hopefully I'd make it,' he added. 'For me this is number one in my career, especially because I didn't expect it.'
