Sir Gareth Southgate was often criticised for his loyalty to a core of England players. and that perception, rightly or wrongly, was a stick he was constantly beaten with despite his many successes as Three Lions boss. Thomas Tuchel, an outsider with no previous international experience, was expected to behave very differently and pick players on form alone. So it came as a great surprise when it was announced on Friday that Tuchel had included Jordan Henderson in his very first squad as Three Lions boss for their opening World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
Tuchel deciding to bring Henderson back was the main talking point from his debut selection and, along with the first ever call-up for 32-year-old Dan Burn and a recall for Kyle Walker, threw up all sorts of questions about the type of team the German is trying to build.
But don't blame Tuchel for recalling Henderson ahead of the likes of Adam Wharton and Conor Gallagher and pinning all his hopes on success next summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Instead, responsibility should fall squarely at the feet of the Football Association (FA), whose short-termism and narrow focus on the 2026 World Cup could yet work, but who are also at risk of doing harm to England's plans for the next European Championship on home soil in 2028 if it fails.