World Cup 2026: Thomas Tuchel not afraid to shout at England players, says Ollie Watkins

Ollie Watkins has said Thomas Tuchel is “not afraid” to shout at England players as the manager aims to maintain training standards at the World Cup.

The Aston Villa striker was speaking at England’s training base in Kansas City and was asked about Tuchel’s coaching methods and how the German motivates his players.

“I think he is not afraid to shout at you. He is always demanding from you and making sure you are on it every day,” said Watkins.

Tuchel was filmed shouting at Tottenham Hotspur defender Djed Spence to “wake up” during training as the England team continued preparations for their second game of the tournament against Ghana on Tuesday (21:00 BST).

“It was lucky it wasn’t me. I think I made a mistake just before Djed did but he ended up shouting at Djed, luckily,” Watkins said.

“I think it just shows that he is a winner and that he is always driving the standards, making sure we are on it.

“That is what you need when the aim is to win a World Cup. [Tuchel is] very demanding, but when he is around the base camp he is very relaxed and chilled.”

Tuchel won the Champions League as Chelsea boss in 2021, and league titles with Paris St-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Spence was called up to the 26-man squad despite Tottenham Hotspur’s battle against relegation.

The 25-year-old is liked by Tuchel because of his versatility, and after Tino Livramento’s withdrawal through injury, Spence is likely first-choice cover at both left-back and right-back.

But despite Tuchel singling him out in the training drill, Spence said the words from his manager are expected from somebody who is a proven winner.

“I probably just missed one of the zones to go to and he just told me to wake up,” Spence told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“It’s normal, you know. He’s an elite manager – he demands the highest quality from his players, and we want to give the highest quality back as well. So it is very normal in training sessions, to be honest.”

Spence came on for the final 10 minutes of England’s 4-2 win over Croatia and had a chance to score as they made a winning start to the World Cup.

“I think I’ve got a good relationship with him,” Spence said of Tuchel.

“He talks to me sometimes before training, after training – reminds me of what I need to do, my minutes, and what qualities I possess.

“I can say I’ve got a good relationship with him, and I think he’s a great manager.”