Ipswich Town and Portsmouth FC will share same surprise - It involves Thomas Tuchel’s England | OneFootball

Ipswich Town and Portsmouth FC supporters will be shocked at the England decision

Ipswich Town and Portsmouth FC will share a similar feeling of surprise over a recent England national team development.

The Tractor Boys and Pompey have experienced quite similar starts to the 2025/26 campaign, with the two sides recording 13 and 12 points respectively.

Kieran McKenna’s side arrived back in the Championship after a disappointing year of Premier League football, which saw them relegated from the top-flight and 16 points adrift from Tottenham Hotspur in 17th.

The Suffolk outfit didn’t start the season well though, potentially feeling a hangover from their time mixing it with English football’s elite contenders. They failed to record a single victory in their opening four matches of this term, which came as a massive shock to the rest of the division.

Ipswich eventually picked up their form soon after, with a 5-0 triumph over Sheffield United the catalyst for further victories against Portsmouth and Norwich City.

Their triumph over the Canaries was particularly satisfying, as it marked the first time in 16 years that the club had achieved this feat in the league.

Pompey have been extremely consistent thus far, recording three victories, draws and defeats at this stage in the campaign.

Surprisingly, they have been bested twice at Portman Road, which proved to be a fortress for them last season. Portsmouth took points from 18 of their 23 games at Fratton Park during the 2024/25 campaign, winning 40 of their 54 points on home soil: a brilliant record which placed them eighth in the home table.

In contrast, John Mousinho’s side only managed to win three times on their travels, with relegated Plymouth Argyle the only team behind them in the away table.

Ipswich edged out Pompey when the two outfits met in the league, with goals from Jaden Philogene and George Hirst enough to win the contest.

Over the international break, a development emerged that will come as a huge shock to both Ipswich and Portsmouth supporters.

Dane Scarlett’s England cameo will be a huge shock to Ipswich and Portsmouth supporters

The England national team have been training at Tottenham Hotspur’s training ground during the October international break, as Thomas Tuchel drills his side ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

Following Ollie Watkins’ injury, Dane Scarlett was invited to join training with the Three Lions to boost numbers.

Although the striker hasn’t been called up to the actual squad, it will come as a great shock to Ipswich Town and Portsmouth supporters to see him having any involvement with the England national team.

Scarlett joined Pompey in 2022 on a season-long loan, when they were competing in League One, and enjoyed a bright start, scoring three goals in his first four starts.

However, once Mousinho was appointed as manager in January 2023, the attacker started just four more matches.

In the summer of 2023, Ipswich Town signed the forward on a season-long loan, but he failed to perform at Portman Road.

No goals in 12 appearances led to Scarlett being recalled by parent club Tottenham Hotspur in December 2023, which lowered his reputation with Ipswich and Pompey supporters.

Less than two years later, it will be extremely surprising for these two sets of supporters to see the attacker training with the England national team.

Although the young prospect showed flashes of brilliance during his temporary spells, both fan bases would’ve agreed that any involvement with the Three Lions in such a short space of time was a long shot.

Dane Scarlett impressed with Tottenham Hotspur last season

Although Scarlett failed to showcase his full talents with Portsmouth and Ipswich Town, the 21-year-old did prove himself at the top level last season.

After being recalled from a loan spell with Oxford United in January 2025, the forward made five appearances for Tottenham Hotspur.

Scarlett proved to be a capable operator during these outings, scoring and assisting versus Elfsborg in the Europa League, a competition that Spurs would go on to win with the young prospect as part of the squad.

Another assist against Ipswich Town was a positive for Scarlett, who lived up to the challenge of playing regular football at the highest level.

Therefore, although he didn’t impress with the Tractor Boys or Pompey, Scarlett’s invitation to train with the England squad hasn’t come completely out of the blue.