Kyle Walker sends England message amid Reece James argument
England got off to the perfect start under Thomas Tuchel amid debates about his squad selections and giving players out of form big opportunities.
The Three Lions comfortably defeated Albania 2-0 to kickstart their World Cup qualification process in style as Tuchel led the team out at Wembley Stadium for the first time.
Myles Lewis-Skelly scored his first-ever international goal, while Harry Kane notched his 70th goal for England as he extended his record as the Three Lions’ all-time top goalscorer.
It was the ideal start for the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss, despite the controversy that surrounded his initial squad selection.
Tuchel opted to bring Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson back into the squad, despite the experienced internationals having been dropped under Gareth Southgate’s regime.
Kyle Walker also found himself in the England squad after what has been a mixed season for him, but he remained in the starting lineup at right back against Albania.
Kyle Walker was thrilled by the ‘perfect’ performance
The 34-year-old is currently on loan at AC Milan until the end of the season, but there had been a lot of question marks surrounding whether he could still perform at the highest level after his performances for Man City during the first half of the season.
| Match Stats | Walker |
| Accurate Passes | 71/77 (92%) |
| Touches | 91 |
| Chances Created | 1 |
| Recoveries | 6 |
Those worries didn’t stop Tuchel from placing him in his first-ever starting lineup, and the experienced full-back went to play the entire game as he celebrated the win on Instagram.
He said, “The perfect start to our qualification campaign. 3 points and a clean sheet. A great performance tonight. Thank you everyone for your support.”
England have a Reece James problem to deal with
The decision of who to start at right-back has been a hotly debated topic in recent years due to the high-quality options in Walker, Reece James, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Tuchel chose to bring James back into the Three Lions squad for this international break despite his injury-ridden seasons of late, which led to Michael Dawson questioning the England boss.
Dawson believed Tuchel and James’ Chelsea connection was the reason for his call-up, which is something that Paul Merson refuted.
The Chelsea captain found himself on the bench against Albania as Walker was the preferred option, but Tuchel did give the 25-year-old a cameo performance as he replaced Lewis-Skelly in the 90th minute.
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