Thomas Tuchel has officially started as England's new head coach, three months after his appointment was confirmed.
Tuchel was appointed by the Football Association in October, with the German coach signing an 18-month contract to guide England through to the 2026 World Cup.
The 51-year-old's contract didn't officially start until the new year, with January 1 marking his official first day in the post.
The Football Association marked the milestone on social media, writing: 'The work starts now. Thomas Tuchel's role as head coach of Three Lions has officially begun.'
Tuchel succeeds the newly knighted Gareth Southgate, who spent eight years in the role.
Southgate led the Three Lions to two European Championship finals, as well as the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Tuchel's first official involvement in the role came last month when the former Chelsea and Bayern Munich boss attended the World Cup qualifying draw in Zurich.
England were drawn in a five-team group alongside Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra, and their campaign to reach the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico began in March.
Tuchel's first game as England manager will be at home to Albania on March 21, followed by a match against Latvia three days later.
“I feel full of energy and I can't wait to get back on the pitch and be close to the players and feel them and feel the dressing room,” Tuchel said last month.
“It's the best place you can be.”
Tuchel has vowed to prove himself in the role after a mixed reaction to his appointment, with the German becoming the England men's team's third foreign boss after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
He is expected to meet Lee Carlsey this month, with talks planned after the interim period of the Under-21 head coach in charge of the national team.
Tuchel did not attend the final games of Carsley's interim spell, despite his appointment being confirmed.
England's new head coach revealed last month that players will have a clean slate under this management, potentially opening the door for Arsenal's Ben White to return to the squad.
Tuchel also confirmed he will attend matches from January as he prepares to name his first England squad.
Tuchel has a stellar CV at club level, but has never managed an international team.
The 51-year-old has managed five teams, including Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, PSG and Bayern.
The England job will be his first since he left Bayern at the end of last season.
Tuchel famously guided Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2021, just four months after replacing Frank Lampard in the dugout at Stamford Bridge.
He also won the Club World Cup with the Blues and has claimed league titles with PSG and Bayern, although he left the German giants behind after they finished third in the Bundesliga last season.
At his unveiling in October, Tuchel had said he wanted to add a 'second star' to the England shirt by leading the country to glory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Tuchel will be assisted in his task by Anthony Barry, the Englishman who worked with him at Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Comments