IT wasn’t exactly the thrilling white-knuckle ride we’d been promised by Thomas Tuchel.
But England set off on their journey to the United States with one goal from debutant Myles Lewis-Skelly and one from their all-time record goalscorer Harry Kane to see off a limited Albania.
Thomas Tuchel got off to winning ways as England boss[/caption]
Arsenal’s 18-year-old left-back got the Tuchel era under way with a bang by becoming the youngest England player ever to score on his debut – rewarding a ballsy selection from the new German manager.
Lewis-Skelly is a modern full-back, frequently popping up in attacking midfield positions and showing excellent industry and footwork.
But in the hour of football between their two goals, England toiled and showed some familiar problems.
Phil Foden was anonymous on the right, and still doesn’t look as though he can fit convincingly into the same team as Jude Bellingham, whose brilliant assist teed up Lewis-Skelly’s dreamy start.
Marcus Rashford, selected after just one Premier League start on loan at Aston Villa, was a willing runner with little end product.
While Dan Burn, Tuchel’s other debutant, was unconvincing in defence despite crashing a header against the bar shortly before half-time.
Had Gareth Southgate still been in charge the nation would have yawned at it all.
But then that is the problem with tournament qualifying campaigns.
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England will be up against a succession of teams who will pack their defence and play with little ambition and none of it will mean very much by the time Tuchel’s men get to the World Cup in America.
With the only two friendlies this year having been scheduled against Senegal and Wales, England are not going to face any truly elite opposition for at least 12 months.
This was, Tuchel and his team hoped, the first step on a glorious journey towards a World Cup Final in New Jersey next July.
And the new boss wants all of us cheerleading on his bandwagon. Good luck with that.
But having talked a good game about boldness and positivity, Tuchel selected a bold and positive line-up – giving debuts to Lewis-Skelly and man-of-the moment Burn, as well as recalling Rashford.
With a back four and a positive-looking midfield selection, it felt that the much-mentioned Southgate ‘handbrake’ had been consigned to the breakers’ yard.
Still, England had humped Albania 5-0 here under Southgate four years ago.
The most successful Three Lions boss in half a century wasn’t as negative as history is now rewriting him.
England started quietly, dominating the ball but doing little with it until the 19th minute when Lewis-Skelly’s moment arrived.
It was a moment of instinctive brilliance from Bellingham which created it, the Real Madrid dropping deep, spinning his man and taking out five defenders with one slicing pass which located Lewis-Skelly on the overlap.
Myles Lewis-Skelly opened the scoring for England[/caption]
Lewis-Skelly became England’s youngest debut scorer[/caption]
Myles Lewis-Skelly on his debut! 🤩
The first @England goal of the Thomas Tuchel era#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/y9BvWydGt8
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 21, 2025
The Arsenal kid needed just one touch to nutmeg keeper Thomas Strakosha and ignite the Tuchel era.
Kane was soon dropping deep and pinging a sweet pass on to the chest of the on-rushing Rashford but he failed to control when he ought to have troubled the keeper.
Soon there was panic in the England defence when Dan Burn sliced an attempted clearance from Qasim Laci’s cross and the ball looped up onto the top of the bar before the big Newcastle defender challenged Pickford for the same ball.
Tuchel had been talking up the importance of England’s players talking to each other all week. And here wasn’t an example of that.
It took 34 minutes for the first paper plane to reach the Wembley turf but Bellingham soon livened things up again, racing on to Rashford’s through-ball but having his shot blocked by Strakosha.
England were largely unconvincing but Kane was everywhere, winning several tackles and Bellingham was generally the creative spark.
Foden was anonymous on the right wing, while Curtis Jones was eager with little end product.
Harry Kane wrapped up the win[/caption]
Kane proved why he is still England’s No9[/caption]
A world class finish from Harry Kane! 👌
Goal number 70 for @England's all-time top goalscorer #ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/5kGsjhwbDy
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 21, 2025
Five minutes before the break, Kyle Walker darted down the right and cut back for Bellingham, whose diving header was blocked by Straoksha, Kane’s follow-up effort deflected over.
Then from a Declan Rice corner, Burn leapt to a height of approximately 12 feet and nutted against the crossbar – so close to a second Wembley goal in the space of five days during this ridiculous week of his.
Early in the second half, the great Geordie giraffe was lucky to escape at least a yellow card for booting Myrto Azuni in the head on the follow-through.
Lewis-Skelly popped up in central to start a decent England attack, Rashford haring forward but losing his footing before Kane headed wide from a Bellingham cross.
Albania boss Sylvinho sent on Armando Broja and the Everton loanee soon toasted Burn for pace twice without managing to threaten Pickford.
And Ezri Konsa – arguably England’s best player – soon had to make an excellent interception to deny Jasir Asani a clear sight of goal.,
Tuchel responded with his first three subs – Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers on for Rashford, Foden and Jones, none of whom had set the world ablaze.
And soon Rice was curling a cross to Kane, who plucked the ball out of the air with his right foot, then took a second to compose himself before he slotted home the second on 78 minutes.
It was Kane’s 70th goal for England and if they are to rule the world in the States next summer, he and Bellingham will have to run the show.
