“I’m here to put another star on the shirt.”
05.06.26, 08:00 Updated 17.06.26, 18:16 6 Minute Read
Phil Martin
Thomas Tuchel did not take long to get to the point when he addressed The FA’s technical board for the first time to introduce himself at St George’s Park, shortly after his appointment as England head coach. There was no long build-up about culture, identity or legacy, he cut straight to the point and made it clear what he thought the job was. Simple, win the World Cup. Or as he put it in his clipped tone, “put another star on the shirt,” pointing to his chest.
Most hear it and think it is exactly what we’ve been missing, without worrying about development, connection or even a sense of how England should play. Tuchel is not interested in dressing the job up as something it is not. He is here to win, in arguably what will be the most difficult conditions, and he has picked players and build a team based on that. It should be a welcome relief, but still we just can’t help ourselves when it comes to our national team, and there are some who do not like it. That won’t be anything new for Tuchel. That sort of noise has followed him through his career.
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Phil Martin Author, journalist and veteran of eight major tournaments, and England top capper, with a background in sports writing, editing and publishing.