England's future midfield? Thomas Tuchel's coaching staff watch Jobe Bellingham & Chris Rigg in action for Sunderland

The midfield duo started for Sunderland and had an impressive outing in the club's goalless draw against Burnley in the Championship on Friday. Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford, however, was the star of the show as he saved two penalties from Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor and helped his team secure a point.

During the game, Sky Sports revealed in their commentary that a few members of Three Lions head coach Thomas Tuchel's coaching staff were present at Turf Moor to monitor Bellingham and Rigg. The teenagers have represented England at the youth level and will now aim to grab Tuchel's attention to break into the senior national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Bellingham and Rigg have regularly started for the Black Cats in the 2024-25 campaign having appeared in 24 and 23 Championship matches, respectively. Both players have scored four goals each and have played key roles in keeping the club in the race for a playoff spot.

The German manager has been regularly following games in England since formally taking charge of the national team on January 1. He will manage the Three Lions in a competitive game for the first time in March when they take on Albania and Latvia in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers at Wembley.