Thomas Tuchel says the decision to include Ivan Toney in his World Cup squad came as a surprise to the England manager.
Tuchel has only called-up Toney once since taking charge, affording the striker an 88th-minute substitute in last June’s friendly defeat to Senegal.
It was expected that Toney’s chance had gone, but has instead been picked over Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jarrod Bowen or Danny Welbeck.
Toney has, away from much of the world’s attention, been impressing for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli, scoring 41 goals and providing 11 assists this season.
Asked why Toney was selected, Tuchel replied: “Also a beautiful surprise to us.
“I had fantastic feedback from his coach, from his club coach who was my player, and I have a close connection with him. I’ve always fantastic feedback about his role there, about his ability, about his fitness. We could see that he still collects the numbers.
“I think he has very special skills that could help us, meaning the situation, the scenario, when we were chasing a result, when we were chasing a goal.
“I think he can be a very valuable addition to Harry Kane. He can be a presence in the box. When we’re pushing for a goal, he can take attention of other strikers. He has a natural presence within the box. He’s a natural finisher. He can help us with said pieces, because he’s very strong in the air. Very good in using his body, and not to forget, he’s a world class penalty taker.“
