Thomas Tuchel made some surprising statements as he named England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, and former Three Lions manager Glenn Hoddle also weighed in.
Glenn Hoddle shares his thoughts on Thomas Tuchel’s England squad (Image: Getty Images)
Glenn Hoddle believes Adam Wharton should have been included in England’s World Cup squad after helping Crystal Palace win the Conference League. The Eagles defeated Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Leipzig to win their first European trophy.
Wharton was one of the players to shine in the historic victory, and his performance was announced just days after he was left out of England’s World Cup squad. But Hoddle believes a midfielder should have been selected.
He said on TNT Sport: “I was a bit surprised, yeah. I think he’s suited to a midfield three because he doesn’t move around the pitch that quickly so that might be a burden for him, but certainly for me I love the way he looks forward and passes.”
“He can hit a killer ball, a ball that takes down the whole defense with one pass. I’m not sure England have enough players deep down who can do that at a consistent level.”
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“So it raised some eyebrows to see him not in the team. I understand why the manager brought in Jordan Henderson, but if you want him to do that kind of job, just get him as a coach.”
“There was a slot for Adam Wharton. He was on a different level tonight. He was one of those guys who played his normal game from start to finish.”
“He settled into the game and showed everyone what he was supposed to do. He got on the ball, passed, created. Palace weren’t at their best, but he was doing all the right things and doing what he does week in and week out. Fair play to him. It’s a big blow for him not to get on the plane to the World Cup, but he really finished the season on a high.”
Adam Wharton was vital to Crystal Palace’s Conference League win (Image: Getty Images)
Wharton, 22, also reacted to being left out of the England squad following Palace’s success in Europe. He said, “It’s just part of football. There was never a guarantee that I would go. I knew that.”
“When he called me, he just said I wasn’t there. He said it was almost there. But yeah, like I said, that’s football. I’m not going to sit here and cry about it.”
“Palace still have two games left. Obviously tonight is an important game, but I’m not too focused on it. It’s not the end of the world. I’m still young.”
He added: “Hopefully in the future I can play in other tournaments and World Cups as well. But yeah, I was just focused on Palace and just coming here and winning and we did that.”
“I’m happy about that and I have some plans to go (during the holidays), but I’m just going to enjoy tonight and the summer.”
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