Tuchel Praises Bellingham's Buy-In to England's Defensive Ethos as Gordon Edges Rashford for Croatia Clash

Thomas Tuchel has given Jude Bellingham a glowing review for embracing a fundamental pillar of England's tactical philosophy after his midfield showing in Wednesday's Costa Rica victory.

Making his first competitive start in the number 10 role, operating behind Harry Kane with Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice anchoring the engine room, Bellingham caught Tuchel's eye with his graft away from possession—precisely the kind of industry the England boss demands.

"We've drilled plenty of attacking moves, but it's equally crucial that everyone understands our defensive DNA," Tuchel explained. "That intensity and work-rate allows us to control the tempo, dominate opponents, and keep our movement progressing rather than retreating. It's what made us formidable during qualifying, and I needed to see how Jude would gel with Harry, Elliot and Declan in that setup for the first time. Morgan Rogers is excellent there—I've seen him do it repeatedly—but Jude's first outing was impressive. He's completely on board with what we're trying to build, and he thrives on it. That's essential to who we are."

The 3-0 romp has also seemingly settled one selection headache heading into next Wednesday's Croatia fixture. Anthony Gordon's energetic left-wing performance has convinced Roy Keane that the former Newcastle winger—fresh off his £70m switch to Barcelona—has earned the starting berth over Marcus Rashford.

"Thomas will be happy with that," Keane said on ITV. "There was genuine bite to England's play tonight against tougher opposition. You could feel the urgency, which was excellent. You want your manager facing selection dilemmas—that's when you know you've got quality competing for places. Gordon's riding high after his Barcelona move, so you'd expect him to get the nod over Rashford. That's the dream scenario for a coach: players pushing each other and raising standards."

Tuchel had explicitly demanded an uplift in intensity following a laboured showing against New Zealand, and the Costa Rica performance vindicated his demands. The Germans was effusive in his praise for how his squad responded.

"I made my expectations crystal clear before kick-off—we needed to step up across intensity, commitment and cohesion," Tuchel said. "And we delivered. The Arsenal contingent settling in has helped, the training has clicked, we're adapting to the conditions, and things are flowing. But today, the players took that next step when I asked them to. The scoreline speaks for itself, but the manner was top-drawer.

"The tone was set in the dressing room, and the lads were ready to climb another level in how we press and play, to drive each other forward. The atmosphere from the crowd was electric. If we can maintain this standard, keep growing as the tournament progresses, and preserve the unity and spirit we showed today, we'll have something special with our supporters."