England head coach Thomas Tuchel named Fulham youngster Josh King in his 25-man squad for Nations League group matches against Croatia and Spain. The selection gives King his first official senior call-up, alongside Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jobe Bellingham.
Nations League schedule
England are scheduled to face Croatia at Wembley on Thursday before travelling to Madrid to face Spain on Sunday, 15 November. England are sitting second in Group C.
King’s international experience
King and Bellingham stepped up from the Under-21 setup. King previously gained experience with the senior squad during England’s pre-World Cup training camp in Florida over the summer.
Tuchel’s squad selection
Tuchel selected 22 outfield players to maintain flexibility during the short international window. Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer missed out on a spot in the squad.
Speaking at his squad announcement press conference, Tuchel said of King: “He is just a fantastic character. He gives us a bit of flexibility.”
Tuchel also said: “We decided to nominate 22 outfield players for flexibility in training and he is the extra player in training, if you will. It is the attitude and the personality.”
How Tuchel plans to use King
Tuchel said: “In pre-season he helped us in training as a full back but we will not do that again. He is an exciting player, a versatile player.”
Addressing the attacking midfield options, Tuchel said: “We have enough number 10s and we stick to the guys who were in the previous camp because we were happy with the two and a half weeks we had together.”
Tuchel added: “We have Josh King as a new player in there, but I want to see him on both wings. He is kind of an extra player and he can play all four positions.”
