Kane to remain England captain, all players have clean slate under Tuchel

Harry Kane will remain England captain when Thomas Tuchel takes charge in January, the German said on Friday, signalling that all the players can count on a clean slate when the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign starts under his management.

England were pitted against Serbia, Albania, Latvia and Andorra in Group K during the draw in Zurich, which was Tuchel's first engagement as England boss.

He was announced as head coach in October but will begin work on Jan. 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifying competition.

"There is at the moment no need to think about change," Tuchel told the reporters. "Harry was always a top captain for England. So why do you even think about it at the moment?"

"You cross the river when you cross the river. First, come January, we will be in touch with everyone and get the feeling for St George's Park and also the players.

"And until March, there's still a lot of football to be played and then we will try to find the best group for the games that await."

Tuchel, 51, suggested he would act independently of former manager Gareth Southgate's choices, building a team of his own with all players able to count on a clean slate.

One of the players who can expect a chat is Arsenal defender Ben White, who did not want to be considered for selection after surprisingly leaving the squad during the 2022 World Cup for personal reasons.

"I will reach out to him," Tuchel said. "It should be a clean start and a clear narrative."

White, who so far only made four friendly appearances for England, was rumoured to have personal issues with Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland, which the former manager later denied.

"It starts from January. I will be in the stadiums from January. I will also not distract the players and they should just know, 'okay, the boss is there from January'," Tuchel added.

"Then I will of course try to speak to them but also be respectful to the schedule that they have, because the schedule is busy in January, especially in the Premier League."

England were placed in a five-team group, meaning qualifiers will begin in late March and continue in June, as opposed to a September start for groups of four.

That signifies a fast start for Tuchel, who will embark on his England journey less than three months before the qualifying begins and make his managerial debut for the Three Lions just 15 months ahead of the 2026 tournament.

"I like the framework, the narrative. I like it to start when the World Cup qualification starts, to have it as you kick off and to go from there," he said.