I gave Thomas Tuchel his first shot at coaching – and here’s why I’m backing him to win England the World Cup

Thomas Tuchel has been backed to deliver World Cup glory for England by the man who gave him his big break in coaching.

The German has agreed an 18-month deal that runs until the end of the 2026 tournament as he tries to go one step further than Gareth Southgate, who reached two European Championship finals but failed to deliver the elusive major trophy.

Christian Heidel, a top executive at Bundesliga club Mainz for most of the last three decades, brought in Tuchel as Under 19 coach in 2009 and rapidly promoted him to first-team duties. Since then, Tuchel has coached Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, winning 11 trophies.

‘I am certain the chances of winning a title have increased with Thomas at the helm,’ Heidel told Mail Sport. ‘He is an outstanding coach who has an outstanding squad of players at his disposal.

‘It is the first time that he will coach a national team. In this role, he can fully focus on the development of his team and his players. He can name a team which will be able to successfully implement his tactical plan.

One of his first bosses in football was Mainz executive Christian Heidel who hired him in 2009

Tuchel took over the first team that year and stayed with the German side until 2015 (pictured in 2010)

‘He does not have to deal with the struggles of working in a club setting, such as transfers or funds, which can often lead to discord. This might be a huge advantage for him.’

Tuchel had strained relations with his bosses at Dortmund, Chelsea and Bayern but has proved an elite operator at the top level. His high watermark arrived in 2021, when his Chelsea side overcame Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the Champions League final.

Heidel has followed Tuchel’s career closely and added: ‘Thomas came to Mainz in 2009 and managed to win the German Under 19 championship in his first season. It was historic for Mainz at the time, as it was the first title of its sort for the club.

Heidel believes head coach’s tactical nous will help England win the 2026 World Cup

‘His brilliant tactics stood out to us immediately. After just one year as Under 19 coach, we promoted him to coach our Bundesliga team.

‘Thomas had a brilliant way of reading the games, his tactical analyses were spot-on, and his team training was outstanding and creative. One of his greatest assets is that he can develop talent and elevate any player to a higher level. His teams play with a very clear tactical plan.’