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For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting spark of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained secure following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the initial part of last season.

Enter Thomas Tuchel, which is important to recall that this was the manager who had approved Guéhi’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the fresh leadership brought Dan Burn into the lineup for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look promising.

The manager started Guéhi in the following game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the matches against Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

“I’d say it’s natural for any footballer to practically question that,” Guéhi says, looking back at his absence against Albania. “You know, new manager coming in … who knows what the team’s going to look like, who knows who is going to feature?”

What Guéhi then did was exactly what he typically does – stay completely in the present, as composed as he could be. This approach would serve him well during a dramatic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed transfer to Liverpool.

The following day, Guéhi reported with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a demon. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is hard not to see that camp and those matches as a pivotal moment for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel over. The young defender started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The faith works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA hired him. “I think what the manager has done is show a lot of faith in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the chance, we aim to show what we can do.”

Faith as the Theme

Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and devoutly Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his player choices.

It was, simply, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had traveled to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one of the 24 who are fit have been retained – so excluding Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have long-term issues. Or Reece James, who was obliged to withdraw on Monday because of a less serious one.

The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics

Tuchel’s choice to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the discourse – to the extent that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a something of a footnote.

What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a last-minute addition in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unheralded contributors on the sidelines, and he aimed to reward them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this session – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Reputations will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Building a Brotherhood

It was with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an discussion with his former England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the environment that held them back and Tuchel is determined to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.

“There isn’t any tension between anyone,” Guéhi says. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, the England squad. Whatever has happened in the before or what is going on in the season, you leave that behind. You arrive here, these become your closest allies, your teammates, the guys that you go to war with for as long as you’re here.

“The environment is always positive when we’re here. The FA, previous managers and the squad themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic job at fostering an atmosphere. Additionally, it comes down to the players to truly buy into that. I think every single person has accepted that superbly because I love immensely coming here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”

Future Focus

What Tuchel wants against Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley crowd. Those against Albania and Latvia were steady enough; the victories positive, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next year. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the team continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.

“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing in Albania. “But I was picked in that squad. It signifies that the manager has chosen me for this chance and whether I’m starting or not I’ll always support the team.

“So personally, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many days on this planet. I’d rather be excited and focused and assist the people that I can – or improve personally – by being the best that I can be rather than stressing.”