'A huge privilege': Thomas Tuchel on becoming England manager
Thomas Tuchel becomes the third non-English man to take on the role, as ITV News' Anila Dhami reports
Thomas Tuchel says he is excited to be replacing Gareth Southgate as the England men's team head coach, and has been congratulated on his appointment by Prince William and the prime minister.
Speaking at his first press conference in the role, Tuchel said he "understood very quickly that it's a big job".
ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott asked Tuchel how he would describe himself to England fans, and he replied by saying he would do his very best "to make the dream come true".
He added: "I'm very emotional and I love what I'm doing. I'm passionate about football... This role brought the young me alive and brought back my teenage days to get excited for such a big task."
Tuchel, in a separate interview with ITV News, was asked for his response to those England fans who have voiced their disappointment that the Football Association (FA) ultimately chose the German over an English candidate.
"Sorry! I'm sorry," Tuchel said. "They should trust the federation [Football Association] and hopefully my time in London, in Chelsea and in England counts a little bit for that.
"Otherwise I have to prove that I show the respect for the role, for the country and for this national team in the right way and I will."
Tuchel told ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott that he hopes his time in charge of Premier League side Chelsea will help to appease Three Lions fans left disappointed by the FA's decision not to hire an English manager
When asked during his first press conference as England manager whether he would join in with singing the national anthem, he described God Save the King as "moving" but said: "I have not made my decision yet."
The former Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich manager becomes the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Sweden's Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italy's Fabio Capello.
Tuchel told Wednesday's press conference that it was a "huge privilege" to be given the responsibility of managing England.
Before the press conference, Tuchel posted the following message on X
"I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already," he said.
"To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting."
The 51-year-old, who will be assisted by English coach Anthony Barry, will take up the role on January 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign on an 18-month contract.
The recruitment process began following Gareth Southgate's resignation in July, with several candidates interviewed, leading to Tuchel being identified as the top person for the job.
An FA statement revealed Tuchel signed a contract on October 8 before the latest round of international fixtures, but the announcement was delayed to "minimise distraction around the international camp".
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FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham said the organisation was "thrilled" to have hired Tuchel, who Bullingham described as "one of the best coaches in the world".
"Our recruitment process has been very thorough," he said, adding there had been a "contingency plan" laid out ahead of Euro 2024 in the instance that Southgate would resign.
"We have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria," Bullingham said, describing Tuchel as "very impressive".
Reactions to his appointment have poured in, including from the Prince of Wales, who wished the new Three Lions boss the best of luck.
"We're all behind you!", William wrote on X.
Who is the man taking over from Gareth Southgate? ITV News' Jay Akbar explains
A passionate Aston Villa fan, the heir to the throne cheered on the England men's national team at Euro 2024, witnessing the squad's 2-1 loss to Spain in the final.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also welcomed the appointment at the start of Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs).
"I know the whole House will join me in wishing the best of luck to the new England manager Thomas Tuchel," he said.
Sir Keir, an Arsenal fan, went on to reference Tuchel's previous role as Chelsea manager, saying: "I won't hold his old job against him, but I wish him well in the new one."
Pundit and former professional Alan Shearer meanwhile suggested on his podcast, The Rest is Football, that the FA acted quickly to bring in Tuchel because of the possibility he could become Manchester United manager.
Interim head coach Lee Carsley had widely been considered the favourite to land the job on a permanent basis, but he will now remain in charge for the final round of Nations League matches next month before returning to his role as Under-21 men's boss.
Tuchel moved into coaching after his playing career was cut short by a knee injury, working at Stuttgart, Augsburg and Mainz before succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund in 2015.
He moved on to PSG two years later, winning successive Ligue 1 titles, then joined Chelsea in January 2021, guiding them to the Champions League crown a few months later.
Tuchel was dismissed in September 2022 amid claims of a breakdown in relations with the club's hierarchy and was out of work until joining Bayern Munich in March 2023.
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