‘I’m not sure it suits him perfectly’- Tuchel on Reece James’ best position after starring in England win | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel oversaw England defeat Latvia 3-0 in his second game in charge thanks in part to a standout performance from Reece James.

James formed part of a deadly wing-back duo with Ben Chilwell for Tuchel during his time at Chelsea, when they lifted the Champions League.

But after returning from injury, current Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has opted to use him as a midfielder of late.

Tuchel lauded the Chelsea man after the game but says he is clear what his best position is.

Asked if he ever thought about playing James in midfield during his time in charge of Chelsea, Tuchel said: “Very, very rarely with Chelsea. If you play a dominant match like today he can be in the last 20 minutes a hybrid midfielder where he comes from the left or right full-back position and helps in midfield to create an overload because he has the quality on the ball to accelerate with his passes, to play chip balls, to switch sides.

“He’s very confident. If it’s an open game and there are a lot of transitions through midfield, I’m not so sure if it would suit him perfectly.

“There cannot be any doubt about Reece’s quality in itself. It’s the highest level. We have been in close contact in the last few weeks and were sure that he trained for weeks. When he didn’t play it was the choice of the club to protect him. We knew he was in good shape.”

Tuchel will have been pleased to see the 25-year-old look something like his best again, after a torrid two years dealing with injuries and setbacks.

James scored a stunning free-kick, as well as overlapping Bowen throughout the game and putting in some of his trademark deliveries into the box.

The German also said he was enthused with what he has seen from his squad in his first camp in charge: “Very happy because of the players. The players made the difference and reminded me instantly why I was excited about the job. Top characters, very good group.

“I think we had some excellent days on the pitch but also off the pitch. Good energy and very positive atmosphere, from the start until the end. Everyone wanted to give their best and everyone is proud to play for England.”