Ten players with points to prove as England qualify for World Cup

It is inconceivable that Jude Bellingham will not be part of England’s squad at the World Cup but does the Real Madrid star, who is arguably the biggest global name available to Thomas Tuchel, still have something to prove to the head coach?

The recent evidence on and off the pitch suggests he does.

It all stems from Bellingham being left out of England’s latest squad despite telling Tuchel he wanted to be included, to the constant narrative of team spirit and the excellence of Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role.

England’s next squad for what are effectively dead rubbers against Serbia and Albania will now have one main point of interest, namely whether Bellingham is included.

If he is, Bellingham will return to duty having been made acutely aware by Tuchel that there is no star system, no special cases, no automatic route back into England’s team.

And it will also come after it has been made crystal clear that Tuchel’s England world does not revolved around Bellingham and how best to utilise his undoubted talent.

Bellingham is not exactly starting again with England – the odds will still be on him being in the line-up their first game in next summer’s World Cup – but he has to prove to Tuchel that he can be part of the team spirit the German cherishes, and that he deserves his place back in the side.

The England star famously mouthed “who else?” when scoring a spectacular stoppage-time overhead kick when England beat Slovakia in the last 16 at Euro 2024, but he now knows there are others Tuchel is willing to consider.