Interim England manager Lee Carsley holds high hopes for the national team as it enters a new era under Thomas Tuchel, with a blend of experienced heads and exciting young talent pointing towards a bright future.
Following Gareth Southgate's departure after nearly eight successful years, during which he came heartbreakingly close to European Championship glory, Tuchel steps in with his ambitions fixed on a World Cup triumph in 2026.
The former Chelsea boss watched from a distance as his predecessor guided an inexperienced England squad, hampered by absentees, to a solid 3-0 victory on Greek soil on Thursday night.
In this match, three debutants emerged thanks to Carsley's willingness to trust in the youth set-up – a strategy that seems wise given the Under-21 team's recent success.
"I think they’ve put themselves in a really good position," proclaimed a satisfied Carsley. "We spoke on Wednesday about the amount of players who weren’t here and the focus has been on the ones who are here.
"It’s given six or seven some opportunity to be in a venue like this, and to experience that kind of atmosphere. They’ve done themselves a lot of good."
Carsley has praised the youthful energy in his squad, saying: "We’ve seen a lot of these young players in the past but to get an opportunity to play and to be as exciting and attacking as they were is good to watch.
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"We want to see a side that’s attacking, playing with energy, enthusiasm, creating chances and we had that tonight. They’ve won at under-18s as well and I think it definitely helps."
He drew comparisons with other successful nations, adding: "We’ve seen that with Germany in the past and with Spain so why can’t that be England?"
Ahead of the crucial Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland, Carsley confirmed Harry Kane's return to the starting line0up: "He’s playing on Sunday. Yeah he’ll start."
He also explained his previous decision to bench the captain in Greece: "It was just a case of having a look at something different, giving someone else the experience who has not had a lot of chances to do so yet. Nothing more than that."
"I definitely didn’t drop Harry Kane. He’s done well for me every game he’s played and been involved with. It wasn’t a case of being dropped, far from it, it was just a case of giving someone an opportunity.
"Ollie is playing in the Champions League with Villa, he’s doing really well, the same with Morgan Rogers.
"It’s great that he got a goal, it looks like a great decision then doesn’t it? Ultimately he should take a lot of credit and confidence from tonight."
Sunday will be all-time top scorer Kane’s 103rd international appearance and would see Jude Bellingham hit the 40-cap mark aged just 21.
The Real Madrid star shone at the Olympic Stadium on Thursday, where his attitude and aptitude was key in securing the requisite result in a must-win match.
"He always plays with responsibility," hailed Carsley. "I know we only see it during games, but he does it in training, he leads by example."
"He’s a really good person to have around because people want to aspire to him and compete with him You’ve seen tonight that there are a level of player coming into the squad who are definitely raising the bar."
