John Terry has admitted he is “worried” by Thomas Tuchel’s treatment of Djed Spence after accusing the England manager of repeatedly singling out the defender during the World Cup.
The former England captain believes Tuchel has had “a proper dig” at the Tottenham full-back on more than one occasion and questioned whether he would behave in the same way towards one of the national team’s bigger names.
Spence has featured in all four of England’s matches at the tournament, starting against both Ghana and DR Congo, but has frequently found himself on the receiving end of Tuchel’s animated touchline instructions.
The latest incident came during England’s last-32 victory over DR Congo, when television cameras caught Tuchel furiously reacting to one of Spence’s throw-ins.
Terry suggested the repeated public criticism sent mixed messages, especially as Tuchel has continued selecting the 25-year-old despite openly showing his frustration.
The Chelsea legend also questioned whether Tuchel’s decision to leave established stars such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden out of his World Cup squad could partly be linked to the personalities he wanted to manage.
Tuchel has defended those omissions by insisting squad harmony was one of the key factors behind his selection decisions.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, Terry explained why the scenes involving Spence had left him uneasy.
John Terry has admitted he is “worried” by Thomas Tuchel’s treatment of Djed Spence after accusing the England manager of repeatedly singling out the defender during the World Cup
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PIERS MORGAN UNCENSORED
“I don’t know if you’ve seen the images and the videos of him going mad at Spence again in the game from the throw-in against DR Congo,” he said.
“I’m not saying he’s picking him out – but he seems like he’s having a proper dig at him.
“We see the training incident that we spoke about. I’m a little bit worried.
“I really like Tuchel, and I think he’s a top and elite manager, but when I see this, I’m like, if that’s Trent, I’m not sure he’s behaving like that; I’m not sure he’s talking to Trent like that.
England’s record at the World Cup | GETTY/ GB NEWS
“And maybe that’s a decision of why he’s picked a couple of these players, because he can go like that to these younger players or these new players in the squad, for me. That’s interesting.”
Terry also insisted his concern centred on Tuchel’s consistency rather than Spence himself.
“Listen, I’m not his fan. I don’t think he’s a good defender, I don’t think he’s a good footballer. He’s played in a really struggling Spurs side this year,” he said.
“But I will say I’ve not seen Tuchel do that to anyone else.
“It just seems to be on two or three occasions he’s dug Spence out.
“But also, for me, he’s then relied on him and played him again. I agree it’s kind of mixed messaging.”
Thomas Tuchel was seen raging at Djed Spence during England’s win over DR Congo
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Tuchel has never hidden his emotions on the touchline.
The England boss threw a water bottle to the ground after DR Congo’s early goal, has publicly berated Jordan Pickford over his distribution and has regularly been seen delivering animated instructions to players throughout the tournament.
The German has also experienced high-profile disagreements during his managerial career with figures including Antonio Conte, Kylian Mbappe and Romelu Lukaku, while he recently apologised after revealing his mother found Jude Bellingham’s behaviour “repulsive”.
Despite the debate over his management style, Tuchel has guided England into the last 16 as they continue their pursuit of World Cup glory.
