Thomas Tuchel has revealed that driving a 'hugely talented' England squad to success is what has motivated him to take on the role as men's head coach.

In his first sit-down interview in the job, the Three Lions' new boss - who will start work in January - discusses his ambitions, how he hopes to achieve them and the role England supporters have to play in driving the team forward under his watch.

Here is what he had to say in full.

Thomas, welcome to Wembley. How are you feeling?

“I’m a bit nervous. It’s a big day to be announced as England head coach. I think it’s good thing to be nervous and I’m honoured. It’s a big privilege for me and it comes with huge responsibility. We will give our very best to live up to it, to make our supporters proud, to make our team better and to achieve our big goal in 2026.”

What excites you most about the role?

“There are many reasons. It’s a new schedule for me, coming from club football – but it’s the FA, with the biggest tradition. It’s the Three Lions. It’s the country with the most competitive league and it’s an extraordinary squad of players. 

“Competing with this country and this group of players for the biggest prize was very quickly very exciting for me and my staff. That’s why we didn’t need long to think about it.”

You’ve worked in England before. Tell us about your relationship with this country?

“I loved living in England and I loved the work in England and the approach to football here. The excitement around football was an amazing experience for me. It was my big wish to come back to England and work in England, so to do that as the national coach is simply amazing. We can’t wait to start in January and have the first camp with the players in March.”

What do you think of this group of English players?

“The talent and potential is obviously huge. But for me, even more importantly, the character of the players is one of a kind.

“It was amazing for me to see the character, determination, grit and hunger that it takes to perform at this level. To have the chance to work with such a talented group makes me excited. I think we have everything to win titles and that’s what I’m here for.” 

How much talent do you see in the England youth teams, the pathway?

“The FA has proven how consistently they produce winning teams now. They did it with the women’s senior team, they did it with the men’s under-21s and also the younger teams and the men’s senior team has been knocking on the door at the last few tournaments. The generation is there, the knowledge is there, the foundation is there and the environment is there. It’s on us now to create a culture and create habits because we want the big prize in 2026 in America. 

“To see the genuine excitement in the country for the national team is something very special and we want to create that energy. We want to create chances, we want to not allow chances for the opponent and we want to implement a style that reflects the Premier League. We want to excite everybody and we need the energy from the supporters to make special things happen.”

You’ve named Anthony Barry as your assistant. What can you tell us about him?

“He’s a top coach and a fantastic character. We became very close at Chelsea, where he already was, and now we are colleagues and friends. The FA can be very proud to have him on the staff because he’s fantastic. He’s young, full of energy and he’s English so you can imagine what it means for him to have the Three Lions on our shirts.

“It’s super important for me to have people at my side who I can trust, who see the process through my lens and who don’t need time to translate and adapt. But it is also important we adapt to the standards and knowledge of the federation. We can’t wait to interact with the staff at St. George’s Park and will be more than happy to use all the knowledge there to create a special atmosphere. Anthony is a perfect fit for all of that.” 

There is a lot of time until your first camp in March. How will you use it?

“First of all, I think Lee [Carsley] deserves the respect to finish the three camps with the national team. He’s doing a fantastic job. That gives us an ideal timeframe, an 18-month journey into the World Cup implement our first principles in time to get going in March.”

What words do you have for the England fans?

“I felt the excitement in the country in 2021 and I truly believe we can do this together. We are here to try everything to put the second star on our shirt and I want everyone to feel the belief once we start in January.

“But before this we have to do the ground work. We have to put our feet on the floor, be humble and there’s no way we can do that alone. We will do it together, for our fans and with pleasure.”