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For Marc Guéhi, a fleeting flicker of uncertainty was understandable. The Crystal Palace centre‑half had shone for England at the European Championships, cementing himself as a key selection under Gareth Southgate, and his status remained intact after the caretaker coach’s spell in the initial part of last season.

Then came the new boss, which is worth remembering that this was the coach who had sanctioned Guéhi’s sale from Stamford Bridge to Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021. Guéhi definitely recalled that. Did Tuchel fancy him? When the new broom brought Dan Burn into the starting XI for his first game in charge, against Albania at Wembley in March, leaving Guéhi as an uninvolved reserve, it wasn’t great.

Tuchel started Guéhi in the next game, against Latvia, also at Wembley, before he was not able to pick him for his second camp in June, which took in the fixtures versus Andorra on the road and Senegal in Nottingham. Guéhi had sustained an facial knock during Palace’s historic FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

“In my opinion it’s natural for every player to practically question that,” Guéhi states, looking back at his omission against Albania. “You know, fresh coach arriving … who knows what the team’s going to be, it’s unknown who is going to feature?”

What Guéhi did next was what he typically does – stay completely in the moment, as composed as he could be. Which would benefit him during a hectic end to the summer transfer window when the club chairman, Steve Parish, blocked his proposed move to Liverpool.

The next day, Guéhi joined up with England for the games against Andorra at Villa Park and Serbia in Belgrade and he trained like a man possessed. Nobody would have known about any personal doubts. It is difficult not to see that gathering and those matches as a turning point for Guéhi, the period when he earned Tuchel around. The 25-year-old started in each and was especially impressive in the 5-0 win over Serbia, even contributing his first international goal.

The trust cuts both ways. Tuchel has this ability of drawing players in, of empowering them; it was one of the main factors why the FA appointed him. “In my view what the manager has done is demonstrate a lot of belief in each of us,” Guéhi says. “Any time we do get the opportunity, we want to display what we can do.”

Belief as the Theme

Trust is the focus – and not just because Guéhi is the child of a pastor and deeply Christian. England face Wales in a friendly at Wembley on Thursday night before traveling to Riga to face Latvia in their sixth World Cup qualifier next Tuesday and Tuchel has shaped it all with his squad selection.

It was, simply, the most stunning show of confidence in the players from the last get‑together, those who had gone to Serbia and sparked Tuchel’s tenure. Every one 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 pull out on Monday because of a more minor one.

Tuchel’s Choices and Squad Unity

His choice to overlook the returned Jude Bellingham has dominated the discourse – to the extent that the omission of Phil Foden, who is also back to fitness, has been rendered as a bit of a afterthought.

What must not be ignored – and what Tuchel does not want missed – is how he has stood by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who was a late call-up in September to cover for the injured Adam Wharton, even though Loftus-Cheek having surrendered his place in Milan’s Serie A side. Or how he retained Jarell Quansah, who came in for the unavailable John Stones in September, although the latter now being fit and in the squad. Though, Quansah himself was forced to withdraw on Wednesday because of a knock.

Here is how a manager builds a performance-based culture, how he builds connections. Tuchel loved the team behind the team in Serbia, the unsung heroes on the bench, and he wanted to recognize them. Bellingham or Loftus‑Cheek? Is it even a debate? Tuchel has effectively turned it into one for this camp – and he believes in an upside in the signal he has sent. Past accolades will not influence him. Acting as a good teammate will.

Creating a Brotherhood

Coinciding with perfect timing that Steven Gerrard spoke candidly in an discussion with his former England teammate Rio Ferdinand on Tuesday, disclosing how self-centered and divided their much-hyped talented era team was. The talent was not in doubt; it was the atmosphere that limited them and Tuchel is set to fix this. He was talking about a “brotherhood” within the team before his first game.

“There’s any tension between anybody,” Guéhi explains. “We are, as we put it when we’re here, Team England. Whatever has happened in the past or what is going on in the campaign, you leave that aside. You arrive here, these are your closest allies, your colleagues, the guys that you go to war with for however long you’re here.

“The atmosphere is consistently great when we’re here. The FA, past coaches and the squad themselves, the staff, have performed a fantastic job at creating an spirit. Then again, it comes down to the individuals to actually embrace that. I think every single person has bought into that superbly because I love so much coming here and I am sure the others of the players feel the same, too.”

Looking Ahead

That which Tuchel wants versus Wales is a performance that excites the Wembley fans. Those against Albania and Latvia were solid sufficient; the wins welcome, the initial progress on the path to the World Cup next summer. But they were not thrillers. Can the side continue the intensity they showed in Serbia? The final words belong to Guéhi.

“For me, worrying is a natural human emotion,” he says about not playing against Albania. “But I was selected in that squad. It signifies that the boss has chosen me for this opportunity and if I’m playing or not I’ll still back the team.

“So personally, worrying can be a futile effort. You only get so many days on this earth. I prefer to be positive and concentrated and help the teammates that I can – or improve personally – by being the finest that I can be instead of stressing.”