Wayne Rooney explains why Thomas Tuchel can lead England to World Cup glory | OneFootball

Former England captain Wayne Rooney believes Thomas Tuchel’s established reputation as a "winner" could prove pivotal for England at the World Cup, after Gareth Southgate’s tenure of near-misses.

England reached the final of the last two European Championships and the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, consistently falling just short, highlighting Southgate’s reign as a case of being so close yet so far.

Tuchel will take charge of England for this summer’s World Cup after succeeding Southgate. The decision to appoint the German initially surprised Rooney, who had favoured a homegrown coach.

However, Rooney now acknowledges Tuchel’s impressive CV, which includes a Champions League triumph with Chelsea and a domestic treble at Paris St Germain, could be invaluable in the tournament’s latter stages.

"Over the last few years they’ve done really well in the competitions and just fell short," Rooney told the Press Association. "Thomas Tuchel’s come in and looks like he’s doing a really good job.

open image in gallery

Tuchel has an impressive CV that includes winning the Champions League with Chelsea (PA Wire)

"I’ve worked with Gareth briefly with England, I’ve never worked with Tuchel. But I think the difference is Tuchel is a winner, he’s won big trophies before.

"Sometimes when you get to a certain stage of competitions, that experience really does help. Hopefully he can take us to that next level.

"I hope England get to the last four. If they get to the last four then anything can happen. With the experience of Thomas Tuchel and some of the players in the squad who have been there before, it will hopefully help us get over the line."

Rooney also expressed admiration for Tuchel’s approach to player selection, prioritising current form over established names, exemplified by Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers being preferred to Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham.

"He’s done what was expected in terms of getting England to the World Cup," Rooney said. "There’s been good signs.

"You look at Morgan Rogers, for instance, coming into the squad then you’ve got the likes of Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer all fighting to try to be in the team and at the minute, you’d probably say that’s Morgan Rogers’ spot with the way he’s been playing.

"It’s quite refreshing to see that he’s playing people on their form and how they perform for him."

open image in gallery

Rooney has praised Tuchel for picking in-form players, including Morgan Rogers (PA Wire)

Rooney, who will once again don the England whites for Soccer Aid, an annual charity match that raises money for UNICEF, on May 31, also issued a caution to Tuchel’s squad regarding their upcoming trip to North America.

England are scheduled to play all three group stage matches in the United States, a country where Rooney, the former Manchester United and England captain, concluded his decorated professional career with DC United.

"It will be difficult with the heat and humidity – I’ve experienced that first-hand, playing over in the States," Rooney said.

"The big thing I found playing over there was where your body normally recovers in a couple of days, sometimes it can take three or four days for your body to recover and then that’s leading into your preparation for your next game.

"I know they’ll be preparing for that and hopefully they’ll get their preparations right."