Thomas Tuchel is the new permanent England manager.
Tuchel will start work in the position in January 2025, when Lee Carsley’s spell as interim comes to an end, with the German leading England into the 2026 World Cup qualification campaign. The former Chelsea and PSG boss has signed an 18-month contract, running until that showpiece tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
The 51-year-old will be assisted by Anthony Barry, a coach he has worked closely with in the past.
The Sporting News profiles the new Three Lions assistant manager, who takes over that particular job from Gareth Southgate’s trusted No. 2 Steve Holland.
MORE: Thomas Tuchel managerial record, trophies won and all teams coached
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Barry is a former midfield player for the likes of Wrexham, Chester and Fleetwood and was most recently assistant manager to Roberto Martinez with the Portugal national side.
The 38-year-old is from Liverpool and called time on his playing career in 2017, focussing fully on rising up the coaching ranks since then.
Barry worked alongside Tuchel at Bayern as a set-piece coach and was the German’s assistant at Chelsea, having initially been brought to Stamford Bridge by Frank Lampard. The 38-year-old Englishman started his coaching career in 2017 at Wigan Athletic.
He also held a brief position alongside Stephen Kenny for the Republic of Ireland, so is no stranger to international football. That experienced in the international game, as well as working with Tuchel and high-profile players like Harry Kane, Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling will surely come in handy with England.
On taking the job alongside Tuchel, Barry said: “For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again. I know what a great place St. George’s Park is and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.
“This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together. I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”
Ready to get to work 👊
— England (@England) October 16, 2024
Barry has enjoyed a storied career already, despite only having been in coaching for seven years. He’s regularly held two roles at once, working in club and international football simultaneously.
| Club | Years | Manager(s) |
| Wigan Athletic | 2017-20 | Paul Cook |
| Chelsea | 2020-23 | Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter |
| Rep. of Ireland | 2021-22 | Stephen Kenny |
| Belgium | 2022 | Roberto Martinez |
| Portugal | 2023-24 | Roberto Martinez |
| Bayern Munich | 2023-24 | Thomas Tuchel |
| England | 2025- | Thomas Tuchel |
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After announcing his pride at taking over as England manager, Tuchel name-checked his assistant. He said: Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud.”
Previously Tuchel has spoken about Barry’s coaching ability. Barry was an academy coach when the German spotted him and introduced him to his first team coaching staff.
“His work with set pieces at Chelsea was on a completely new level for me,” said Tuchel, explaining his decision to bring the Liverpudlian with him to Bayern.
“Our relationship is very respectful and friendly,” Barry said on working with Tuchel.
“I admired Thomas from the first day. We have a lot of parallels – how we work and how we see football. We try to push each other and to improve.
“That allows us to work at a very high level because we can be completely honest with each other. We talk very openly, discuss our ideas and always try to find the best solution.”
England fans will be hoping the pair can rekindle their telepathic relationship on the training pitches of St George’s Park in the coming months as the Three Lions look to bring football home in 2026.
