England manager Tuchel vows to earn right to sing anthem

England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to earn the right to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the teams World Cup qualifiers.

Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgates successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.

It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it, the 51-year-old German told a news conference.

Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.

However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.

Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like he should sing it now, hes one of our own, hes the English manager, he should sing it, he said. REUTERS

Join STs Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.