Thomas Tuchel has been urged to include a surprise name in his first England squad.
The Three Lions boss will announce his squad for the upcoming matches against Albania and Latvia next week.
AFPTuchel has been told to include a surprise name in his first England squad[/caption]
England begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with two matches at Wembley Stadium on March 21 and 24.
Ahead of Tuchel’s squad being finalised, the former Chelsea boss has been told to include Danny Welbeck.
The Brighton striker has not featured for the national team in seven years, with his last cap coming against Switzerland in September 2018.
However, Ally McCoist believes the 34-year-old’s recent form is enough to earn him a surprise call-up.
Asked if there is a chance Welbeck is in the squad, the talkSPORT co-host told Jeff Stelling on Breakfast: “Listen, I’ll tell you what, I’m on it. It’s the hardest job in the business, scoring goals, right? Definitely.
“Now, I wouldn’t see any reason why he couldn’t be and I’ll tell you why. Because you talk about specialised positions at this moment in time.
“Would Danny Welbeck start as a number nine for England? No, absolutely not. I don’t think so.
“But, say if you need a goal from somewhere with half an hour to go. If you’re a goal down at this level, you need to find a goal. Who at this moment in time, more than Danny Welbeck, would you fancy bringing off the bench?”
Welbeck has scored the winner in Brighton’s last two matches after coming off the bench, including against Newcastle on Sunday.
McCoist added: “But right off the top of your head, if you present somebody with a chance to.
talkSPORTMcCoist believes Welbeck can play a key role for the Three Lions[/caption]
“I thought Welbeck’s finish at the weekend was great. I thought his finish against Bournemouth was beautiful as well.
“So, in answer to your question, it wouldn’t be the daftest thing in the world.”
The former Manchester United forward has eight goals and four assists for the Seagulls this season.
Of those goals, seven have been in the Premier League, with only four English players scoring more this term.
Cole Palmer, Ollie Watkins, Liam Delap and James Maddison are the only Englishmen to have found the target more than Welbeck.
His tally also includes two of each in the club’s last three matches across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Welbeck is a veteran of three major tournaments with the Three Lions.
He previously featured at Euro 2012 as well as both the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
Since making his international debut in 2011, he has scored 16 goals in 42 caps for his country.
Welbeck also featured under Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate for England in the past.
