In an alternate universe Thomas Tuchel is managing in England again, but not the national team.
Instead, the German is in the dugout at Tottenham Hotspur while Ange Postecoglou is elsewhere.
Speaking exclusively to talkSPORT, Tottenham great Jermain Defoe revealed why the staff in north London were enamoured with Tuchel before Postecoglou’s appointment in the summer of 2023.
And a revelation from his former Tottenham teammate Harry Kane, who spent a season under Tuchel at Bayern Munich, explains why that’s the case.
“I was in the Tottenham academy coaching for two years,” Defoe said.
“Before Ange got the job, I had a conversation with some of the coaches.
“We were actually saying, ‘Cor, if we got Thomas Tuchel here’. Because we’d heard in terms of his detail and his coaching, even speaking to Harry (Kane), his sessions and the detail that he gives the players and the energy and what he brings to the job, he said it’s unbelievable.
“That’s what they say.”
Defoe also addressed one of the leading unfair criticisms surrounding Tuchel before he has even named his first England squad.
Tuchel’s appointment marked the first time England had been managed by a German. The 51-year-old also became the first foreign boss of the men’s team since Fabio Capello.
Some detractors believe England should be managed by an Englishman.
However, Defoe refuted the claim and believes the England role should be given to whoever is the best man for the job.
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“I played under Sven (Goran Eriksson), Capello,” Defoe said.
“Not once did I ever think, ‘Capello is Italian’. I just thought, ‘This is Fabio Capello’.
“This guy’s come in with this presence and his CV spoke for itself and the players and the clubs that he’d managed.
“I thought, ‘This is the best man, one of the best out there, hopefully we can win with him in charge.’
“It’s the same with Thomas Tuchel.”
talkSPORTDefoe is excited to see what Tuchel can do as England boss[/caption]
Tuchel is due to name his first-ever England squad on Friday as he whittles down his 55-man list to a squad of 26.
The former Chelsea boss also has the benefit of his first two games in charge being on home soil.
Tuchel’s first game in charge is a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Albania on March 21, with a clash against Latvia three days later with both matches taking place at Wembley.
England are also in the same group as Serbia, who they beat in their Euro 2024 opener last summer, as well as minnows Andorra.
