'A privilege' - Thomas Tuchel sent message by Tino Livramento after Newcastle full-back snubbed by England senior team and sent to Under-21 European Championship

England’s U21 squad opened their European Championship campaign with a confident 3-1 victory over Czechia, echoing the strong start they made en route to their tournament triumph two years ago. Livramento earned the spotlight with a standout display and possibly caught the eye of Tuchel in the process.

Tuchel, speaking in the lead-up to the tournament, had expressed interest in seeing how Livramento would cope with increased responsibility in the U21 setup. Livramento didn’t disappoint and was part of the build-up that led to England's opener.

After the match, Livramento said, "I see it as a privilege", when asked to comment on Tuchel's expectations for him.

Head coach Lee Carsley was full of praise for the young defender and emphasised the resilience he has shown in bouncing back from a serious ACL injury.

"He’s had some tough times in the past with injuries,” Carsley said. "He’s kept going. It’s his first tournament for England and we believe that if we can have success in these tournaments with these experiences, it’s going to help the seniors in the long term, but that’s got to be his goal - playing in the senior team. He’s definitely got the capabilities to do that playing at Newcastle as well. Left-back, right-back. The more options he can give a manager, the better for the team."

With their first win under their belt, England’s attention now turns to Slovenia, whom they face on Sunday. A positive result there would likely secure progression to the knockout stages before a high-stakes group finale against Germany on June 18.