VIDEO: World Cup hope rekindled? England boss Thomas Tuchel pulls Jack Grealish for a chat after Everton's shock win at Man Utd

After losing his way at Manchester City last season, Grealish is having a resurgent year on loan with Everton in 2025-26. He's back to starting pretty much every game - he's only been left out when he was ineligible against his parent club last month - and played 87 minutes of the dogged Old Trafford display, in which the Toffees were at a player disadvantage for most of it after Idrissa Gueye was sent off.

After the final whistle, Everton's social media team captured a moment that saw Tuchel with his arm around Grealish, before the pair engaged in an inaudible friendly discussion. The England manager had also sought out 24-year-old Toffees star James Garner, who has never been capped at senior international level but could potentially play his way into the squad by next summer's World Cup if he continues to perform and impress. Adam Wharton and Kobbie Mainoo showed before Euro 2024 that current form, rather than international experience, is what matters.

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Grealish hasn't been called up by England in over a year, making the most recent of his 39 caps to date in October 2024, playing the full 90 minutes and scoring in a UEFA Nations League win over Finland. He'd earlier missed Euro 2024 after failing to make the jump from the provisional squad to the final cut, and hasn't been regularly called up since late 2023. The former Aston Villa winger previously appeared in all five of England's games at the 2022 World Cup, and featured in five out of seven at Euro 2020. He's only scored four international goals, but so has Phil Foden - in more games.

It's not particularly clear who else Tuchel would have been there to specifically watch.

Jordan Pickford had a splendid game for Everton, notably denying Joshua Zirkzee a Manchester United equaliser with a world-class save as he flew to his right, but the goalkeeper's place as England starter could hardly be any more nailed on. Despite a middling club career, he's the best goalkeeper England have had in a generation, and perhaps one of the best ever to rival Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton. Tuchel doesn't really need to watch him to know that.

Luke Shaw started for Manchester United, making all his appearances so far this season as a left-sided centre-back. Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount appeared off the bench in red. In the Everton ranks, James Tarkowski and Michael Keane have been out of the England picture for seven and five years respectively, but Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall could be another wildcard Tuchel is interested in.

An England recall in time for the World Cup will only come if Grealish is a better option than the other left wingers at Tuchel's disposal, so he needs to keep doing what he's doing to prove himself, and probably add more measurable goal contributions.

Grealish has five goals and assists to his name in the Premier League since joining Everton, but the sole goal came before the October international break and he hasn't assisted since August. Competition in the England squad primarily lies in Antony Gordon, Marcus Rashford and Eberechi Eze.

There is now a lengthy break until the next international fixtures on the calendar, but plenty of eyes will be on Tuchel's squad list for the March 2026 window – England's opponents are yet to be confirmed but will form the first part of the countdown to the World Cup.