Rooney: Tuchel contract through 2028 will influence England selection

Wayne Rooney called the FA’s decision to tie Thomas Tuchel to a deal running to 2028 a clever move that removes club speculation and lets England focus on the World Cup. He compared it to past situations where managerial uncertainty followed teams into major tournaments.

Rooney said the length of Tuchel’s commitment will change how he approaches selection. If Tuchel were only managing the World Cup, Rooney suggested, he might make choices without worrying about the impact on a player’s future, but a longer-term role means thinking about keeping players for the next tournament.

He added that the effect on picks will be slight rather than massive and that Tuchel will still pick a team. Rooney gave an example: if England were starting the World Cup tomorrow, Morgan Rogers would start ahead of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden if all were in the squad, and he reiterated that Bellingham "should never have been left out". Rooney has 120 caps and 53 international goals.

England

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