🔗 Share this article

For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was natural. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at Euro 2024, establishing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s tenure in the first half of last season.

Enter Thomas Tuchel, and it is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi certainly remembered that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought another defender into the lineup for his debut in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an unused substitute, it wasn’t promising.

Tuchel started Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, again at Wembley, before he was not able to select him for his second camp in June, which included the matches versus Andorra away and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi says, reflecting on his absence against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to be, it’s unknown who’s going to feature?”

The thing Guéhi did next was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as balanced as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the offseason window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed move to Liverpool.

The following day, Guéhi joined up with England for the matches against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Not a soul would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the time when he earned Tuchel around. The young defender was selected in both and was particularly good in the five-nil win over Serbia, even adding his maiden strike for his country.

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has achieved is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi comments. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we aim to show what we can achieve.”

Faith as the Central Idea

Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to face Latvia in their next World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his squad selection.

It was, quite, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the previous get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been kept – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.

Tuchel’s Choices and Team Unity

His decision to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a footnote.

That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want ignored – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, despite Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, despite the former now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he forges bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the bench, and he aimed to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is that a question? Tuchel has essentially made it one for this session – and he sees an upside in the signal he has delivered. Reputations will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.

Creating a Brotherhood

It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, revealing how self-centered and clique-ridden their much-hyped golden generation team was. The ability was not in question; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his initial match.

“There’s any animosity between anybody,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the past or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have done a fantastic role at fostering an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the players to actually buy into that. I think each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love immensely being here and I am sure the rest of the lads feel the same, too.”

Future Focus

What Tuchel expects against Wales is a performance that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories welcome, the first steps on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not thrillers. Can the team continue the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The last thoughts belong to Guéhi.

“In my case, worrying is a normal human emotion,” he says about being benched against Albania. “But I was picked in that group. It means that the manager has opted for me for this opportunity and whether I’m starting or not I’ll still back the team.

“So personally, fretting can be a waste of time. You don’t have many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and concentrated and help the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be rather than worrying.”