England boss Thomas Tuchel hails 'best team-mate' Marc Guehi for putting 'personal interests aside' as Three Lions remain perfect in qualifying
Updated 10/09/2025 at 10:55 GMT+1
It has been a rollercoaster week for England and Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi. The 25-year-old went into the international break off the back of a proposed move to Liverpool breaking down at the 11th hour. But England head coach Thomas Tuchel praised how he and his team-mates put their "personal interests aside" to continue The Three Lions' perfect run in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
‘Teamwork in its purest form’ – Tuchel on England's 5-0 win over Serbia
Video credit: SNTV
Thomas Tuchel praised Marc Guehi for being the "best team-mate possible" during September's FIFA World Cup qualifiers following a turbulent few days for his club career.
The 25-year-old netted his first England goal in the 5-0 win over Serbia on Tuesday, just over a week after his proposed move to Liverpool reportedly broke down on deadline day.
Guehi has been a key member of Tuchel's defence which has yet to concede a goal in five matches during qualifying, and Tuchel hailed the defender's performances in the wake of an uncertain period.
"It’s the example of how the boys were in this camp, exactly like this," Tuchel told ITV. "They put their personal interests aside.
"He was the best team-mate possible and a fantastic performance. Very strong for Crystal Palace and showed it today on the pitch."
Guehi was reportedly undergoing a medical on deadline day ahead of joining Liverpool before Palace pulled the plug at the last minute.
The defender shrugged off any potential disappointment as he impressed in Belgrade.
"It’s been great," he told ITV.
"It’s always easy coming here, such a good group of players, good group of staff. We are all working towards one goal."
On scoring his first international goal, he added: "I’m just over the moon. It’s a fantastic feeling. You work really hard growing up, so to score a goal for your country is the best feeling."
Tuchel's side took a step closer to qualifying for next year's World Cup - taking place in the United States, Canada and Mexico - by opening up an eight-point gap on third-placed Serbia in Group K, having played a game more than their hosts on Tuesday night..
The victory - England's biggest since Tuchel took the reins at the beginning of the year - was The Three Lions' second in four days after they opened the international break with a 2-0 triumph over Andorra.
Tuchel was brimming with praise for his side's application in the September training camp, and was pleased to see it translate onto the pitch in Belgrade.
"I’m more than happy for the team and the staff," he said. "We had an excellent week from start to finish. We just proved what I saw every day in this camp and that makes me very happy.
- Isak reveals 'not everyone has the full picture' after Liverpool move
- Tel says omission from Thomas Frank's UEFA Champions League squad 'definitely hurts'
"There was a lot of teamwork in its purest form, and from there we showed our quality. We kept Serbia to no shots on target. We didn't allow chances. You have to put a lot of work in to do that.
"A lot of intensity needed in the duels; a lot of invisible work that you get no praise for. A lot of running, a lot of effort, it's good to watch."
The September international break was Tuchel's third training camp with his England squad, and he felt their latest performance set the standard going forward.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/09/09/image-8946b70b-1b71-4b0a-b35c-033f436a8d98-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
'We are evaluating 70 players' - Ancelotti says Brazil are exploring all avenues for World Cup
Video credit: SNTV
"We’ve only had three weeks of training together," Tuchel said. "That's normally half a pre-season – it takes a bit of time.
"We started new, we started fresh after the first two camps. We did our learnings, gave our players clarity in the structure we're playing. The credit goes to them. They did amazing. That’s the bar."
England return to action on October 9 in a friendly against Wales, before resuming their World Cup qualification bid against Latvia on October 14.
Watch the Premier League, Men's and Women's FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League on TNT Sports and discovery+
Related Topics
Thoughts?