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For Marc Guéhi, a momentary spark of self-doubt was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had excelled for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a first-choice selection under the previous manager, and his standing stayed intact following Lee Carsley’s tenure in the first half of last season.

Then came Thomas Tuchel, which is worth remembering that this was the manager who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Chelsea to Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel rate him? When the new broom swept another defender into the starting XI for his first game in charge, versus Albania at Wembley in March, with Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it did not look great.

The manager selected Guéhi in the following game, versus Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his next gathering in June, which included the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had suffered an eye injury during his club’s historic FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s normal for every player to almost doubt that,” Guéhi states, reflecting on his absence from Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the squad’s going to look like, who knows who’s going to play?”

The thing Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would serve him well during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the Palace chair, Steve Parish, prevented his proposed transfer to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he worked like a demon. Not a soul would have been aware about any internal turmoil. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those games as a turning point for Guéhi, the time when he won Tuchel over. The 25-year-old started in both and was particularly impressive in the 5-0 win against Serbia, even contributing his maiden strike for his country.

The trust works both ways. Tuchel has this knack of bringing players in, of supporting them; it was one of the main factors why the Football Association hired him. “In my view what the gaffer has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in every single one of us,” Guéhi says. “Whenever we do get the opportunity, we want to show what we can do.”

Faith as the Central Idea

Faith is the theme – and not just because Guéhi is the son of a church minister and deeply Christian. England meet Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before going to Riga to play Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifying tie next Tuesday and Tuchel has framed it all with his player choices.

It was, quite, the most stunning demonstration of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Each of the 24 who are available have been kept – so not Tino Livramento or Noni Madueke, who have serious injuries. Or Reece James, who was forced to withdraw on Monday because of a more minor one.

The Manager’s Choices and Squad Dynamics

His decision to omit the returned Jude Bellingham has led the conversation – to the point that the exclusion of Phil Foden, who is also fully recovered, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.

That which must not be ignored – and what Tuchel hopes won’t be ignored – is how he has supported Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the hurt Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his spot in Milan’s Serie A team. Or how he kept Jarell Quansah, who came in for the injured John Stones in September, although the former now being fit and in the squad. However, Quansah himself was compelled to exit on Wednesday because of a knock.

This is how a manager creates a meritocracy, how he builds bonds. Tuchel admired the unit behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the sidelines, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a question? Tuchel has effectively made it one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the message he has delivered. Past accolades will not sway him. Being a good teammate will.

Building a Brotherhood

Coinciding with good timing that Steven Gerrard opened up in an interview with his ex England colleague Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their so-called golden generation squad was. The ability was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is determined to get this right. He was speaking about a “brotherhood” within the squad before his first game.

“There’s any animosity between anyone,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we say when we’re here, the England squad. No matter has gone on in the before or whatever is going on in the season, you put that aside. You come here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the players that you battle with for as long as you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently positive when we’re here. The football association, past coaches and the players themselves, the backroom team, have done a fantastic role at creating an atmosphere. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to truly embrace that. In my opinion each member has accepted that brilliantly because I love so much being here and I know the rest of the players do, too.”

Future Focus

What Tuchel expects versus Wales is a showing that stirs the Wembley crowd. Those versus Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the victories welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not pulse‑quickeners. Can the side build on the intensity they displayed in Serbia? The final words go to Guéhi.

“In my case, anxiety is a normal human emotion,” he states about not playing in Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It means that the boss has opted for me for this chance and whether I’m playing or not I’ll still support the team.

“So for me, worrying can be a waste of time. You only get so many moments on this earth. I prefer to be positive and focused and help the people that I can – or help myself – by striving to be the finest that I can be instead of worrying.”