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Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, Football, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Bayern Munich, Eric Dier
Ryan Smart
Topics: England, Thomas Tuchel, Football, Tottenham Hotspur, AS Monaco, Bayern Munich, Eric Dier
Thomas Tuchel has not spoken to one England player during his lengthy absence from the national team setup, it has been revealed.
Tuchel named a 24-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia last week.
There were debut call-ups for Elliot Anderson and Djed Spence as the England boss looked to freshen up his selection following June's 2-0 friendly defeat to Senegal.
He would later be forced to make two changes, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Jarell Quansah coming in for the injured Adam Wharton and, later, John Stones.
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There was surprise among some fans that Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah - who was in the last England squad - wasn't called up over Quansah.
One other top-flight defender who hasn't been selected by Tuchel, perhaps surprisingly, is former Tottenham centre-back Eric Dier.
The 31-year-old, who now plays in Ligue 1 for Monaco, hasn't played for England for three years but was signed by Tuchel at Bayern Munich in January 2024.
Despite that connection, the German hasn't been tempted to call Dier back to the England setup.
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And speaking to The Telegraph, the defender has revealed that he hasn't spoken to Tuchel since his appointment as England boss.
"No, no," he said. "I spoke a few times with his assistant, Anthony [Barry]. We know each other from Bayern, we know each other well. Obviously those conversations are private.
"But my intention is clear - I want to get back in the England squad. I felt over the last two years, I've been playing the best football of my career. I feel in a very good place with my game."
Dier also feels that his age is not a detriment - though 35-year-old Jordan Henderson should prove to be an example - to getting back in the squad: "[Vincent] Kompany told me when he first arrived at Bayern, he said, 'Eric, you are 30 but you're never too old to learn', and I really carry that with me because first of all, it's really true. Try to improve and learn no matter how old you are. That open-mindedness is incredibly important."
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