Tuchel praises England players for embracing collective spirit

Thomas Tuchel emphasised that England's key players have fully adopted his philosophy of prioritising the team following the limited roles given to Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden during Thursdays 2-0 victory over Serbia.

Tuchel brought on the Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham and Manchester City attacker Foden during the latter stages at Wembley sticking with the lineup that had shone in Englands prior three fixtures.

The Three Lions confirmed their qualification for next years World Cup back in October through a dominant win in Latvia which followed swiftly after a 5-0 thrashing of Serbia in September.

Bellingham had not featured for England since June whereas Foden had sat out the last three international gatherings.

Sending a clear signal that spots must be won through form rather than fame Tuchel held Bellingham and Foden back until the 64th minute before deploying them against Serbia.

The duo linked up effectively to assist Eberechi Ezes goal in the 90th minute after Bukayo Saka had opened the scoring for England in the opening period.

Tuchel feels confident that he has fostered a solid foundation of determination and cohesion within the group since assuming control in January.

The German coach is certain that this unity will prevent any issues with discontent among players who miss out on starting berths at the World Cup.

"The focus is not on assembling a first choice XI but on forging a cohesive unit. These are major stars at their clubs and it is natural for them to feel let down if they are benched" he explained.

"Yet they have embraced the concept of team construction. That is exactly what we require and there are no shortcuts.

"A robust collective that sets aside personal egos and frustrations while aiding the manager in selection dilemmas for upcoming games."

Bellingham has faced speculation about being a divisive presence in the England setup but Tuchel appreciates his passionate midfielders talents and has no intention of excluding him from the group.

Breaking into the starting lineup ahead of the World Cup remains a challenge for Bellingham.

However Tuchel remains upbeat after achieving seven straight qualifying triumphs without conceding buoyed by the belief that Englands senior figures will establish a positive vibe at the finals.

"We possess a solid ethos backed by a nucleus of influential leaders. The squads mood carries the appropriate drive" he added.

"All are eager to take the field which is encouraging. With each camp we cultivate this environment and the players uphold the expectations.

"Provided we maintain this trajectory we might achieve something remarkable."