ASTON Villa forward Marcus Rashford has been recalled to the national team in Thomas Tuchel’s first squad as England manager, reports Vlad Andrejevic.
Arsenal teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly and Newcastle’s Dan Burn also received their first call ups as England prepare to tackle Albania and Latvia in the first of their World Cup 2026 qualifiers.
It marks a dramatic turnaround for Rashford, 27, who last played for the Three Lions in March 2024. A stalwart for England over many years, earning 60 caps to date, he had fallen out of favour for both club and country during his final months at Manchester United.
A move to the Midlands in January has undoubtably revitalised the talented forward, with his uptick in form under the tutelage of Unai Emery prompting Tuchel to bring him back into the international fold.
“Marcus is on a good way, we thought now we were convinced that it is the right time to push him with his nomination,” German Tuchel announced to England’s media channel.
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“Marcus has had a huge impact lately for Aston Villa. I was delighted to see his effort against the ball, his effort to be the best team-mate possible, his consistent energy in defence with Aston Villa.
“There is no doubt about his talent and quality but to see him be so decisive and so involved physically gave me the impression it was the right moment to call him up and give him the extra push that he stays on that level.”
Lewis-Skelly’s inclusion also caught the eye and is testament to the positive impact the 18-year-old has had in North London. Having only made his club debut in September last year, the young left-back has seamlessly taken to senior football at the highest level and become a reliable yet exciting asset to his side.
The defence also saw Jarell Quansah, Reece James, Ezri Konsa and Kyle Walker brought in, whilst further up field Jordan Henderson has surprisingly been included. Tuchel pointed to both him and Burn being included for their character and attitude, stating that ‘they bring leadership, devotion, being humble, taking care of the group.’
Whilst plenty of experienced players have been called up, such as Harry Kane who will maintain his captaincy, there is excitement around the camp that Tuchel will be able to blend that with the plethora of young attacking talent at his disposal, including the likes of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rodgers and Cole Palmer, to deliver an exciting and intense brand of football that ‘should reflect the values of the country and the Premier League, which is the best league in the world.’
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