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Myles Lewis-Skelly celebrated his England debut by scoring the first goal of the Thomas Tuchel era, and the German spoke glowingly of the teenager after Friday night's win.
The Three Lions eased past Albania in their opening 2026 World Cup qualifier, with Harry Kane joining Lewis-Skelly on the scoresheet in the second half.
The Arsenal teenager was included in Tuchel's first starting XI at Wembley having earned his maiden call-up to the squad off the back of a stellar few months with the Gunners. The former Chelsea boss described Lewis-Skelly as "ready" before his debut, and the 18-year-old certainly proved England's new manager right with an excellent display, earning him Man of the Match honours.
Thomas Tuchel waxes lyrical over Myles Lewis-Skelly after impressive England debut
Myles Lewis-Skelly on his debut! 🤩
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) March 21, 2025
The first @England goal of the Thomas Tuchel era#ITVFootball | #ThreeLions pic.twitter.com/y9BvWydGt8
Lewis-Skelly said he was "lost for words" when speaking to ITV Sport (via The Athletic) alongside Declan Rice almost immediately after the final whistle, as he became the youngest debutant to score in Three Lions history.
“I’m just so grateful for the manager to put trust in me and my team-mates played with great trust in me. I’m so happy, I’m lost for words," he said.
While Tuchel wasn't bowled over by England's controlled display and singled out his two starting wingers, Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden, for healthy criticism, he waxed lyrical over the Arsenal starlet, who's clearly made a significant impression on him.
"He [Lewis-Skelly] was amazing in camp," Tuchel told reporters post-match. "He’s full of confidence and very full of humour. Such an open and mature character. Everything you see on the pitch you see off the pitch.
"A great performance. He is full of courage and quality," he added.
Tuchel was also open to offering some tactical insight after the win, saying that he "adjusted" Lewis-Skelly's position to allow another player to operate as a reference point between the lines and overload Albania's deep-lying defence. It's the sort of role the teenager has quickly grown familiar with at Arsenal - "in the double six and left defending role," as Tuchel said - and the ease at which he took to the international stage suggests there's scope for the 18-year-old to lock up a starting position down the left.
""He is a fantastic football player.""Thomas Tuchel on Myles Lewis-Skelly
England's cruise towards the 2026 World Cup continues on Monday night against Latvia.