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Thomas Tuchel admits Everton star was “very, very close” to making the England squad
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England’s German head coach Thomas Tuchel attends a press conference at Wembley Stadium, north west London, on September 18, 2026, ahead of their Nations League fixture against Spain. (Photo by Brook Mitchell / AFP via Getty Images) / NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
Three Everton players have been included in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the final two Nations League games.
Jordan Pickford, Jarrad Branthwaite and James Garner have all been called up for the games against Croatia and Spain. However, there’s no place for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, despite his superb form this season.
We made the case for his inclusion earlier this week, and manager David Moyes backed him to “certainly be knocking on the door”. But Tuchel has opted against handing him a first senior call-up, at least for now.
Here's our predicted Everton XI to face Coventry! We expect no changes, but what do you think? 🤔
Glad rolh right back and not obrien
Correct decision, why change a winning team.
Armstrong received a bad foul and was limping near the end. Maybe put Hackney in and give him a rest. Rohl put a shift in too so Dibling could deputise
Thomas Tuchel explains Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s England omission
Speaking after the squad announcement, Tuchel was asked how close the Everton man is. And his answer was pretty encouraging, despite leaving him out. “Yeah, close. Very good player, very good season. You can just see it,” he said.
“He’s a very good football player overall, but I see him in the way we play now. I don’t see him in central midfield in the build-up of the game. I see him more in the finishing part of the game as an offensive eight or almost as a ten.”
With the options England have in that attacking midfield position, that in itself is Dewsbury-Hall’s problem. “The competition is very, very high in our squad on this position, but he is, as you know, he’s in our 55, in our squad of 55, and he is a standout player for Everton. We see his quality.”
K. Dewsbury-Hall
Everton – Premier League (2026 – 2027)
Appearances 9
Minutes Played 804
Average Rating 7.41
Goals 2
Assists 1
Key Passes 21
Pass Accuracy (%) 87.00
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall deserved his England chance
It’s disappointing, but admittedly not that surprising. England are stacked in the No.10 role, and Dewsbury-Hall will be nearly 30 by the time Euro 2028 comes around. Someone like Josh King, for example, can be bedded in now and readied for the future.
But then look at Eberechi Eze. He’s been called up, and he’s the same age as Dewsbury-Hall. Has he been better this season? No. Yes, he plays for the Premier League champions, but if Tuchel is picking players on individual form, surely Dewsbury-Hall deserved his place.
At least he knows he’s on the radar. Tuchel admitted it “was very, very close for him”, and Dewsbury-Hall has made it clear he wants to achieve big things. The best way to respond would be to put in another big performance against Coventry tonight.