Gibbs-White delighted with England call-up despite late summon from Tuchel

Morgan Gibbs-White has spoken highly of England head coach Thomas Tuchel, describing him as “incredible” despite initially being left out of the squad for the team’s opening 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Nottingham Forest midfielder was informed by Tuchel that he wouldn’t be included in the initial squad selection.

However, after Chelsea’s Cole Palmer suffered an injury on Sunday, Gibbs-White received a call from Tuchel, inviting him to join the team for the upcoming matches against Albania and Latvia.

“He phoned me up and said ‘Are you still upset with me, or do you want to join us, and fancy training with us tomorrow?’,” Gibbs-White told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“There was no question there. I was smiling from ear to ear. I am delighted.”

Gibbs-White, a key figure in Forest’s strong Premier League season, believed his performances had warranted a place in the England squad.

“I was upset, a little bit disappointed, but at the same time you always have to look at the quality of players England have,” he admitted.

“I took that into consideration, but when he told me, I respected his decision.

“I said to him ‘I think I have done enough to get the call-up considering the club form that we are in, but you are the manager, you make the decisions, and I will respect that’.”

“Are you still upset with me?” 😅

📞 Morgan Gibbs-White reveals Thomas Tuchel’s surprise Sunday call that led to his late England selection#BBCFootball #England #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/UM13dpM9oc

— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) March 18, 2025

Since taking the England job, Tuchel has made an effort to connect with his players ahead of their first matches together.

Gibbs-White, who had previously earned two caps under interim manager Lee Carsley, was among those Tuchel reached out to before the squad assembled.

“To be fair, [Tuchel] has been incredible,” he said. “I think he has done [that] with most of the players.

“I think as soon as he got the job he has been in contact with the majority of the players. He is a really easy-going sort of guy, nice to speak to.

“I felt it was top from him, really good starting that relationship with us before even meeting us.”

Gibbs-White participated in Tuchel’s first training session on Monday, where the former Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain boss made his expectations clear.

“He is really intense and that is the first thing I took from it,” Gibbs-White added.

“I believe when you know someone knows what he wants, you believe in it as well.

“That intensity to show that he is not just here for a jolly, he is here to win, that was really nice to see.”