'I'm sorry I have a German passport' - Thomas Tuchel admits he was 'unsure' about taking England job & refuses to confirm if he will sing national anthem

Tuchel has signed an 18-month contract with the Three Lions and will lead the team's bid for the 2026 World Cup following Gareth Southgate's departure after Euro 2024. The German coach has now been officially unveiled by the Football Association and had a message for those supporters unimpressed by the appointment of a foreign coach.

He told reporters: "I am sorry I have a German passport. Maybe these supporters felt my passion for the Premier League and the country, how I love to live here and work here. Hopefully, I can convince them and show them how I am proud to be the England manager. I am proud."

Tuchel also spoke about the national anthem, after seeing interim boss Lee Carsley cause controversy after refusing to sing God Save The King ahead of games. Tuchel added: "I understood from Mark [Bullingham] it is a personal decision, there were some who sang and others didn't. I have not made my decision yet. Your anthem is very moving. I have experienced it here at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Either way, I will show respect to a very moving anthem. I will always show my respect to the new role and the country."

The decision to appoint Tuchel has been met by criticism both in England and back in Germany. Yet Tuchel says he wants a chance to prove to his detractors he is the right man for the job.

He explained: "I think we deserve a fair chance, the credit for having a good record in the country and how much we enjoyed living in the country and working in the Premier League. We will try to convince them with our results and how we play.

Tuchel also explained why he had initial doubts over taking the role: "They made it clear it's about football and that got me excited. I wasn't sure this was the job for me because the schedule is very different. I always wanted to come back to England, that was my big goal. The offer came at the right time and we found a vision to share. Now I have to live up to it. I know there are some trophies and I want to help that happen."

Among managers to take charge of 50 or more games in the Champions League, Tuchel has the third-highest win percentage in the tournament's history (59.7%). Tuchel won the European trophy at Chelsea and guided Paris Saint-Germain to their first-ever final appearance.

Tuchel will officially start work on January 1st but will not take charge of his first game until the March international break. In the meantime he will no doubt be casting a careful eye on November's Nations League matches between Ireland and Greece in what will be interim boss Lee Carsley's final matches in charge.