'Done more than enough!' - Morgan Gibbs-White suggests he 'got on wrong side' of Thomas Tuchel as Nottingham Forest star breaks silence on England World Cup snub

Despite racking up a combined 25 goals and assists across a stellar campaign, Gibbs-White found himself on the outside looking in when Tuchel announced his travelling party for the 2026 World Cup. The Forest playmaker responded to the news in the best possible fashion, scoring a stunning free-kick in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth to reach 18 goals for the season.

After the game, the midfielder revealed that the German coach delivered the news personally via a phone call on Thursday evening. Gibbs-White’s exclusion was one of several big calls, as Tuchel has been heavily criticised for leaving out established superstars in favour of his own specific tactical profile.

A defiant Gibbs-White said: “I know myself that I have done more than enough to be in the squad. I got on the wrong side of someone’s opinion. I have been on the wrong side of people’s opinions throughout my career, so I’m only going to bounce back. We had a good conversation. I respect him [Tuchel] for calling me and telling me the news. I agreed with what he had to say. I’m glad the season is behind us now, I’m going to concentrate on the summer.”

The 26-year-old’s frustration was shared by the City Ground faithful, who spent the afternoon voicing their displeasure through derogatory chants directed at the England manager. Gibbs-White himself sent a message following his goal, pointing to the name on his back while flashing his fingers toward the crowd. It was a clear statement of intent from a player who believes his contribution deserved a different outcome.

Tuchel has repeatedly defended his controversial selection process, insisting that positional balance was the primary reason for several stars missing out. The England boss noted that his decisions were built on hunger and excitement rather than previous reputation or individual statistics. This philosophy has seen established names like Phil Foden and Cole Palmer join Gibbs-White on the beach this summer.

The German tactician explained his reasoning by stating: “Does this mean that the other guys that you mentioned did anything wrong? No. For some of them, it's just a positional thing that we also tried to have a balanced squad and not to bring five number 10s and make them play out of position because whom would we do a favour with? The player or ourselves? I don't think so.”

While Gibbs-White deals with his disappointment, his Forest team-mate Elliot Anderson is the subject of widespread transfer speculation. Anderson has emerged as a key figure in Tuchel's plans and looks set to start England's tournament opener against Croatia. However, his future at Forest remains uncertain, with a £100m price tag doing little to deter reported interest from Manchester City and Manchester United.

Forest boss Vítor Pereira addressed the transfer speculation surrounding his prized assets following the season finale, saying: “If you ask me if he deserves the best clubs in the world, he deserves. He has a lot of quality, he is a talent, but he is our player and I am very happy with him. The market is the market, I cannot predict the market. I know we want to keep the same players, to bring two or three players to help us balance the squad. In the end, we’ll see.”