Myles Lewis-Skelly with England manager Thomas Tuchel
Image credit: Getty Images
Thomas Tuchel has praised Myles Lewis-Skelly following his outstanding England debut, suggesting that the Arsenal youngster’s best position is in midfield rather than at left-back.
Lewis-Skelly, 18, was named in England’s senior squad for the first time last week ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. The highly rated teenager was handed his first start at Wembley on Friday night and made an immediate impact, scoring the opening goal in England’s 2-0 victory over Albania. Harry Kane later sealed the win in the second half.
In doing so, Lewis-Skelly made history, surpassing Marcus Rashford to become the youngest player (18 years and 176 days) to score on his senior England debut.
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Although Lewis-Skelly has primarily been deployed as a left-back for Arsenal, Tuchel believes the teenager’s true potential lies in a more central role.
Myles Lewis-Skelly scores the first ever goal of Thomas Tuchel’s England tenure.
What a huge moment for him. 🏴🥹 pic.twitter.com/5BHT3uyoVC
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) March 21, 2025
“The second half, he played as a No.8 because we wanted to take more risks and have a closer connection between the players,” Tuchel said after England’s victory.
“In the first half, we played in a 4-1-4-1, and he was in a more conventional role, scoring from that position. In the second half, he played as a No.8 or No.10.
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“I think his very best position is where he plays for Arsenal in the left-sided double-six role. He’s a fantastic footballer.
“If you watch him in training, his first touch, his body movement, how he opens up his body, and his passing quality—he has a very high understanding of the game. It all comes naturally to him.
“He’s very versatile and can adapt quickly. Today, we played a more conventional system because we have many players from different clubs, but he did very well because he understands the game so quickly.”
With his impressive England debut and Tuchel’s glowing endorsement, Lewis-Skelly’s future at Arsenal and on the international stage looks increasingly bright.
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