Harry Kane stepped in to help Thomas Tuchel choose a player for the England squad.
England manager Thomas Tuchel has shared how captain Harry Kane played a big part in bringing one surprise player into the squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel picked his 26-man team on Friday, and one of the unexpected names was Ivan Toney, a former Brentford striker. Kane and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins will be joined by Toney, who last played for England in a friendly loss to Senegal last year.
Toney, now 30, hadn’t been called up since missing some training expectations at his last England camp in Spain. But Tuchel says he brings something unique to the team, and Kane was a key voice in choosing him.
“His training and commitment weren’t where we wanted before,” Tuchel explained. “We had to sort things out first. Once we did, we started thinking about different game plans, especially if we’re behind and need a goal.”
Toney moved from Brentford to Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League in 2024. He has seven England caps and one goal since debuting in 2023.
“His name keeps coming up because he has a strong presence. Harry loves playing with him since Toney draws attention away from him,” Tuchel said. “We’re also building a strong set-piece team, and Toney is great at both defense and attack, plus he’s a top penalty taker. He fits a lot of needs.”
Tuchel also said Toney won’t start ahead of Kane, who is the clear first choice striker. But Toney gets “very good feedback” from his club coach Matthias Jaissle.
In his time at Al-Ahli, Toney has scored 55 goals in 62 league games, helping the team finish fifth last season and win the AFC Champions League Elite twice in a row.