Djed Spence speaks out on Thomas Tuchel’s future as England manager

Djed Spence says England’s players are ‘very keen’ to continue working with ‘great manager’ Thomas Tuchel beyond the World Cup.

Tuchel is under contract with the Three Lions until Euro 2028 but he has come under pressure after England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina.

A 2-1 loss to the world champions in the semi-finals is no disgrace, but the manner of defeat has frustrated many England fans.

Anthony Gordon gave England the lead on 55 minutes, which caused the team to retreat in an attempt to defend the lead and Tuchel threw on more and more defenders to try and hold on.

Argentina inevitably equalised on 85 minutes and then scored again in stoppage time to break English hearts and cause many to question the rearguard tactics.

However, the Three Lions have bounced back to some degree, with the chaotic 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off, and Spence says the players are fully behind Tuchel going forward.

The Tottenham full-back, who has been a breakout star of England’s campaign, was asked if the players were keen to continue working with Tuchel after Saturday’s win, and said: ‘Yeah definitely very keen. He’s a great manager and we’ve built something special.

‘It wasn’t what we wanted but it’s stepping stones, it’s the best we’ve finished since 1966 so it’s a step in the right direction and hopefully the next tournament we can bring something home.

‘I think we’ve got to learn from this tournament. We’ve learned a lot, done well, we’ve just got to take it into the next tournament that we’re in and the next games that we’re in as a team. We’ve just got to learn from it and hopefully bring something home.’

Spence was asked if the memorable win over France was a response to the criticism the manager has received since the defeat to Argentina.

While he is backing his boss, the Spurs man dismissed this idea, saying media and fan opinion has had little impact on the squad.

‘No, I don’t think we really focus on outside noise,’ he said. ‘We’ve just got to focus on ourselves and our bubble and control what we can control.

‘It was disappointment with the semi-final but we showed great mentality today to get the win. Credit to the team.’

Spence was not a starter for England at the beginning of the World Cup but grew in stature over the tournament and was in the starting XI for the semi-final.

He impressed both going forward and defending and is pleased with how he performed in his first major tournament.

‘It’s not a bad debut tournament,’ he said. ‘I’m just happy I can showcase it on the biggest stage in the world.’

The 25-year-old joined Spurs in 2022 but took two years to break into the team, going out on loan to Rennes, Leeds and Genoa.

Asked if he could see himself starring for England at the World Cup, when he was struggling to make a breakthrough in the Premier League just two years ago, he was clear, saying: ‘Yeah I could.

‘I’ve always believed in my ability and difficult moments don’t define you. So, I’ve worked hard and always believed that I’ll be in this position.

‘I can only thank God, it’s great to be a part of this team.’

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