THOMAS TUCHEL has sent a message to England fans ahead of officially starting in his new role as Three Lions boss.
Tuchel is set to begin his job as England manager on January 1, now just one week away.
The former Chelsea and Bayern Munich gaffer, 51, is yet to start his role in charge of the nation properly, but still sent some festive well-wishes to supporters on Christmas Day.
In a video posted on social media by England, he said: “A short message to all our England fans: Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
“Stay safe happy holidays and see you soon in the stadium. Bye”.
Tuchel will start his role at St George’s Park next Wednesday with preparations beginning for the 2026 World Cup.
However, the German’s first game in charge won’t come until March 21, when England face off against Albania at Wembley in their first qualification match for the 2026 tournament.
Despite not officially starting his role as manager, Tuchel was present at the World Cup qualification draw in Zurich earlier this month – which is when the Christmas video appears to have been filmed.
Tuchel watched on as England found out they will have to get the better of Albania, Andorra, Latvia and Serbia to make it to the World Cup in North America.
The Champions League winning manager has kept away from the limelight for the most-part since being announced as Gareth Southgate’s successor.
Tuchel will take over from interim boss Lee Carsley and England fans can expect to see him inside stadiums up and down the country keeping a keen eye on the players from January 1 onwards.
Speaking in his first press conference after being announced as the new manager, he discussed what fans can expect from his team when he takes over.
“To see the genuine excitement in the country for the national team is something very special and we want to create that energy,” He said.
“We want to create chances, we want to not allow chances for the opponent and we want to implement a style that reflects the Premier League.
“We want to excite everybody and we need the energy from the supporters to make special things happen.”
Read the full article here