Tuchel lauds England’s ‘mini Valverde’ as fringe players assessed

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The Football Faithful

·28 March 2026

Tuchel lauds England’s ‘mini Valverde’ as fringe players assessed

Thomas Tuchel compared James Garner to Fede Valverde after making his international debut in Friday’s draw with Uruguay as the England boss gave his verdict on the fringe players fighting for a place at the World Cup.

The Everton midfielder impressed the head coach during his first senior start for the national team, marshalling the midfield for 68 minutes before being replaced by Kobbie Mainoo.

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Garner created four chances on the night while he also put in a defensive shift at Wembley Stadium, completing five tackles and four recoveries. Judging by Tuchel’s comments after the final whistle, he did his chances of being on the plane this summer no harm.

Tuchel compares Garner to Valverde following England debut

“I’m very happy,” the German said in his post-match press conference. “He’s our mini Valverde! He’s getting there and played very good. He has this natural confidence, he won a lot of balls.

“I think there are some situations where he can be a little bit more open with his body position and drive through midfield.

“He was involved in some ball losses in the last 10 minutes of the first half. But overall I was pleased with how he trained and played.”

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Fikayo Tomori, meanwhile, returned to England duty after three-and-a-half years out in the cold, starting alongside Harry Maguire, as he got a rare opportunity to show the manager what he can offer to the team.

“I don’t see him that much live,” Tuchel admitted. “We have our clips, I see every game he plays, his actions.

“He was a lot on the ball, he had to break the first line of defence. It was a lot to ask of him; his biggest strength is defending, to be aggressive.

“Job done, it was positive. He did well. We only had two centre-backs left in camp, both did well as a pair.”

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The Dominics, Solanke and Calvert-Lewin, also made their returns to the fold after spells watching from afar to stake a claim as Harry Kane’s backup. Solanke was unable to carve out any clear cut chances but Tuchel appreciate his work rate, while Calvert-Lewin had a glorious chance to break the deadlock with a free header in front of goal, but sent his effort wide.

“I liked the effort from Solanke,” Tuchel added. “He worked like a dog, initiating the press. A lot of sprints.

“It took Calvert-Lewin a little bit to get the press right and play with the same intensity. He had the big chance and he’s upset with himself. It’s normally a clear goal. He could have made a statement straight away.

“He was always available through the middle and did quite well.”

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