by New England head coach Thomas Tuchel had no say in naming the latest squad, according to interim boss Lee Carsley, who summoned uncapped trio Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Lewis Hall and Curtis Jones for the matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
Tuchel was named Gareth Southgate’s permanent successor last month but will not start work until January 1, with Carsley taking charge of a third and final side for next week’s Nations League matches in Athens and Wembley.
“He had no influence on the team selection. I spoke to him via text, it’s literally [just] “Congratulations,” Carsley said. “He is very respectful of the work that myself and the staff do, so we were left to that, as we always have.
“I still consider it a huge privilege and the confidence that the FA has shown in myself and the staff, in the three camps that we have, these are the last two games.
“We are really looking forward to a tough game against Greece and the Republic of Ireland at home.
“I think it’s a very good appointment,” Carsley added. “We talked about having a coach with a good track record, Thomas definitely got that.
“He’s a coach I’m really looking forward to seeing work with and I hope I can entrust him with a strong group of players with real potential to win a major tournament.”
Carsley was asked if he had been approached to join Tuchel’s backroom team and if he would be interested in the England job in the future.
“My role will be back with the Under-21s, a role that I have really, really enjoyed playing,” he replied. “With that there is full support for the senior team, the job and the role is quite clear in terms of helping produce players for the senior team.
“And I’m in a better position to do it because I’ve seen the levels the seniors are playing at.
“I really enjoyed [being the interim manager]It’s been a challenge, it really is,” he continued.
“It’s a huge honor to have the trust placed in me by my FA bosses and other members of staff.
“By having this opportunity, I think we have shown that we can do it. My priority is to make sure I do a good job every day, rather than looking too far ahead. It will be a great achievement if we can get two positive results now and finish [the Nations League campaign] in height.”
Tuchel signed his England contract on October 8, but his appointment was not announced for another eight days, leaving Carsley facing a series of tough questions about his own chances of landing the job during the last international break.
The former Everton midfielder refused to say whether he was aware of Tuchel’s appointment, but insisted he was ‘really comfortable’ with what Football told him Association.
“I always focused on the games, I was respected in the sense that I was allowed to do my job,” Carsley said.
“People realize how difficult the job is without worrying about outside influences, but I’m really comfortable in this position and being informed. [I’ve been given]”.
The FA has been criticized for failing to appoint an England coach, with Tuchel set to become the country’s third foreign manager after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.
Carsley believes there are quality candidates coming through the FA “pathway” but says they need to be given opportunities at the highest level of club football.
“I’m talking about the players in our system who have the opportunity,” he said. “We certainly have players on our course who are capable of playing in the senior team and we certainly have the same with the coaches.
“Ultimately we need opportunities. We need more English and British coaches in the Premier League and the Championship who have the opportunity to show what they can do.
“The higher level we can coach, in terms of the Premier League, the Champions League, giving them those kinds of experiences, the more beneficial it will be for the game in general.
“We have to earn this right and with the courses and training experiences offered by St. George’s Park we are moving in the right direction, but we need this opportunity.”
