Tuchel reveals the three things he did before making Ivan Toney World Cup decision

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleThomas Tuchel held "clear-the-air" talks with Ivan Toney regarding his commitment in last year's June camp before recalling him for the 2026 World Cup squad. Tuchel explained that Toney's selection over Dominic Calvert-Lewin was due to his physical presence, ability to draw attention from other strikers, set-piece contributions, and penalty-taking skills. The England manager conducted thorough background checks on Toney, including sending an assistant coach to observe him and consulting his club manager. Tuchel expressed surprise and deemed Harry Maguire's public statement after being dropped from the squad as "not necessary." Tuchel contacted all 50 players previously in the camp, plus Luke Shaw, and noted that player reactions to disappointment influenced his decisions; psychologists are also monitoring team communication. In fullThomas Tuchel reveals ‘clear the air’ talks with Ivan Toney before surprise call-up to World Cup squadThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

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