Thomas Tuchel has revealed he held clear-the-air talks with Ivan Toney and has now placed the striker on "special operations" duty for England at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tuchel's frank admission on Toney's past form
The England boss admitted that Toney's "commitment and level of training" was not up to standard during the striker's previous stint with the national team 12 months ago. However, Tuchel performed a U-turn after the March camp, bringing Toney back into the fold to add an extra dimension for the summer tournament.
Toney, 30, is arguably the biggest headline in the 26-man squad, given his move to the Saudi Pro League and the perception that his England career was over. Yet Tuchel believes he can serve as England's super-sub—a crucial finisher in the scorching conditions of the United States—and an invaluable penalty specialist for potential shootouts.
Special operations role defined
Tuchel explained: "Ivan is, in this case, a part of a specialty team, as part of a special operations team. He knows that, and that's his role, and off the pitch, he is a glue. He is someone who connects with everyone very, very well."
The German coach elaborated on the process: "It took a while, and it was in the last weeks, when we started deeply to talk about the selection. I was not happy with the June camp. He knows that. And we had to clear the air after that. That was the first step to even start thinking about calling him up again, because I was not happy. It was not a matter of his character. The level of training and the level of commitment was not where we wanted."
Tuchel highlighted Toney's specific attributes: "We try to build a strong set-piece squad. He can have his role there, defensively and offensively, and he is a world-class penalty taker. He ticks suddenly a lot of boxes. It was necessarily that we talked with him again and clarified with him if he's happy to come. And after having another conversation with him and having good feedback from his club coach – very good feedback – and having good feedback from the Euros in Germany, we decided to reopen the door and invite him in."
Scouting and selection decisions
Tuchel confirmed that he has not travelled to Saudi Arabia to watch Toney in person, but assistant coach Justin Cochrane has observed him play for Al-Ahli, managed by Matthias Jaissle—a former acquaintance of Tuchel from their time in Germany. Toney attended Euro 2024 but appeared to have bid farewell to his England career after moving to the Saudi Pro League.
However, Tuchel insisted on having three strikers in his squad. After Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dom Solanke failed to impress in March, England revisited Toney. Harry Kane remains a guaranteed starter, with Ollie Watkins also included. Tuchel praised Watkins' response to being omitted in March, but Toney's comeback is even more remarkable.
Tuchel added: "We started talking more deeply about the team and started talking different scenarios and what would be the most offensive lineup if we are going 1-0 down with 15 minutes to play, ten minutes plus extra time we need a goal. We are pushing. We are around the box. Balls are flying into the box. What are scenarios. Then his name comes up constantly. Because he has a presence."
He also noted the synergy with Kane: "Harry loves to play with him, because he thinks that he takes the attention off him. He is even more of an old-school No9 than Harry himself. So would he be a player you would like to fall the ball down to if there is a ricochet in the box? Yes. Absolutely. Would he be the player that you want to have this touch? Does he take, with his presence, the attention off other strikers? Yes."
Djed Spence's surprise inclusion
Another unexpected name in the squad is Djed Spence, who has struggled for game time at Tottenham this season, been out of form, and recently broke his jaw in a clash with Chelsea's Liam Delap. Spence earns his place due to his ability to play on both flanks, with concerns over the fitness of Reece James and Tino Livramento, who have missed significant periods through injury.
Tuchel explained: "First of all, he was excellent in every single match that he played for us. He suffers from the change of coach at his club. Since then he has had a lot of minutes. Of course, he suffers from the situation. He is part of the situation as well. He brings something to the group that we don't have in his profile. I think he loves defending. He is the fastest player in our squad. He loves to defend one-on-ones. That is just a characteristic that makes him a standout full-back for us. A bit of a special full-back for us. He can be on top of that play both sides."
Tuchel concluded: "We had this discussion with Djed before the March matches. We said we were a bit concerned about what is going on in the club. You don't get the minutes. If you come here in March, you have to prove yourself again. Which he honestly did because both of our full-backs, Tino and Djed, were just excellent. You trust them and you bring something to the group."
