England have confirmed that Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King have all left the camp following their participation in the World Cup warm-up. Thomas Tuchel decided to include the four young players to bolster the numbers during the squad’s time in Florida.
England are set to travel to their base in Kansas City on Saturday as they look ahead to their tournament opener against Croatia on Wednesday night (9pm). Ahead of the game, they have played in three warm-up matches.
The Three Lions came out as 1-0 winners over New Zealand last Saturday. They then beat Costa Rica 3-0 on Wednesday night. The third game was a behind-closed-doors friendly against Miami FC at England’s base. Reports say that the team came out as 6-0 winners, with both Nwaneri and Nguomha on the scoresheet.
In a post on the official England social media accounts, a picture of all four players has been shared, along with a message reading: "An important part of our preparations so far. Thanks to Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha and Josh King who depart at the conclusion of our camp in Florida."
Tuchel explains selection thinking
When confirming the four players joining the squad, Tuchel explained the thinking behind the selection. "We will take some young players out who will train with us in the size of the squad that we need, and we have the two friendly matches to take care of the minutes and the load on the players," he said.
"I’m happy to have these players, especially Alex (Scott) who was on the list of 55 and obviously he didn’t make the first cut but the reaction of him was outstanding and the commitment and wish to be in pre-camp and a step closer to the team was not even a question for him.
"That showed me his character and I’m delighted he’ll be with us because that was a close call and he gets a chance to get a step closer and a cap."
All four players will be aiming to build on their experience when they return to their clubs in pre-season. Should they continue to impress in the Premier League, then they will be included in England squads in the future.
