Thomas Tuchel Includes Three Crystal Palace Players in First England Squad
Thomas Tuchel has named three Crystal Palace players in his inaugural England squad, just days after personally texting four first-team stars from the Premier League club.
The German manager revealed his 26-man squad on Friday morning as England prepares for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia later this month. The selection features several surprising choices, including the return of Kyle Walker, the inclusion of Jarell Quansah, and Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson getting the nod over highly-rated youngsters like Morgan Gibbs-White and Adam Wharton.
Many football observers expected Wharton to secure a place in Tuchel’s squad, especially after the new England boss had personally reached out to the midfielder before Palace’s Premier League fixture against Ipswich Town. According to goalkeeper Dean Henderson, Tuchel contacted four Palace players ahead of that match:
- Adam Wharton (midfielder)
- Marc Guehi (defender)
- Eberechi Eze (attacking midfielder)
- Dean Henderson (goalkeeper)
Henderson revealed details about the communication in a recent interview: “I’ll be honest, I’d love to play for England this time around, I’d love to get a cap, another cap. I’m chasing that – it’s one of my goals. He [Tuchel] texted before the game, and it’s nice to know that he’s watching. He wrote he’d be at the game and be in the stands watching, just wished me all the best.”
Palace Representation in England’s Senior and Under-21 Squads
Ultimately, Tuchel selected three of the four Palace players in his squad:
| Player | Position | Squad |
|---|---|---|
| Marc Guehi | Defender | Senior |
| Eberechi Eze | Midfielder | Senior |
| Dean Henderson | Goalkeeper | Senior |
| Adam Wharton | Midfielder | Under-21 |
While Wharton missed out on the senior squad, he wasn’t completely overlooked by the England setup. The young midfielder has been included in Lee Carsley’s under-21 squad for upcoming friendlies against Portugal and France. This decision comes despite Wharton’s impressive performance in Palace’s 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, where he earned Man of the Match honors with Tuchel watching from the stands.
Tuchel’s midfield selections for his first squad include Curtis Jones, Declan Rice, Morgan Rogers, Jude Bellingham, and the experienced Jordan Henderson. Explaining his decision to recall Henderson, Tuchel said: “We called Hendo back up because I think his career, and the way he plays now and imposes himself at Ajax, is just so impressive. He builds it on character, personality and energy.”
The new England manager emphasized the importance of team cohesion: “For me, Jordan is a similar call-up to Dan Burn. They carry these values on their shoulders. They carry their teams. They are absolutely reliable in what they bring in terms of energy. This is also where the focus is for us, to build as quick as possible a cohesive team. Jordan is a big piece in that puzzle for us.”
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