Thomas Tuchel, coach of the England national team, revealed that his goal since taking charge had not been to change the identity of the Three Lions, but rather to provide the appropriate environment for the players to show their best, while at the same time praising the leadership role played by Harry Kane ahead of the match against Norway at the 2026 World Cup.
The England national team is preparing to face Norway in the quarter-final round of the World Cup on Sunday morning.
Tuchel said at the press conference: "I try to support the players and give them the appropriate opportunity to show their best, and I am not sure that I sought to change the identity of the team".
He continued, "I think everyone saw during our run in the World Cup that we are capable of playing attacking football, pressing the opponent, and being an active and proactive team".
He added, "The mentality, team spirit, competitiveness, ferocity, hunger to win, and solidity are all part of the identity of English football, and they are also part of the English Premier League".
He revealed, "These things cannot be measured by the number of passes, possession percentage, or number of attacks, but they are elements that make the difference in football".
He concluded, "This team possesses all these qualities at the highest level, and this is the foundation for us".
Regarding England captain Harry Kane, he said: "We talk about Harry Kane after every match because he always decides matches in our favor".
He continued, "Kane is our captain, he is the captain of the national team, and he leads everyone by his actions before his words. He is living the best period of his career and delivering the highest level of his career, and this helps us a lot".
He added, "He has the mentality of a player who puts the team's interest first, leads the group by example, and pushes everyone to give their best".
He concluded, "He is always ready to take responsibility and always ready to deliver the performance that helps the team".
The England national team qualified for this round after achieving victory against Mexico by three goals to two, while the Norway national team achieved an exciting victory against Brazil by two goals to one.
