LONDON, Nov 14, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Thomas Tuchel insisted England's stars have bought into his team-building ethos after Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden were only given substitute appearances in Thursday's 2-0 win against Serbia.

Tuchel introduced Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham and Manchester City forward Foden in the second half at Wembley as he kept faith with the players who had impressed in England's previous three matches.

The Three Lions sealed their place at next year's World Cup in October, with a commanding victory in Latvia coming hot on the heels of a 5-0 rout of Serbia in September.

Bellingham hadn't played for England since June, while Foden missed the previous three international camps.

In a pointed message that places must be earned by performances rather than reputations, Tuchel kept Bellingham and Foden waiting before sending them on after 64 minutes against Serbia.

The pair combined to set up Eberechi Eze's 90th-minute goal after Bukayo Saka put England ahead in the first half.

Tuchel is convinced he has created a strong sense of purpose and unity among his squad since taking charge in January.

And the German believes that togetherness will ensure there are no problems with player pouting if they don't feature in the starting line-up at the World Cup.

"It is not about building a starting eleven. It is about building a team. They are all big players at their clubs, they are all disappointed when they don't play. This is normal," he said.

"But they buy into this idea of building a team. This is what we want and what we need. There is no other way around it.

"Only a strong group that can put their ego behind, the disappointment behind, and contribute to give the coach a headache for the next match."

Bellingham has had to endure reports that he is a polarising figure among the England squad, but Tuchel is well aware of his fiery midfielder's qualities and there is no chance he will be jettisoned from the squad.

Whether Bellingham is able to break into the team in time for the World Cup is another matter.

But Tuchel, buoyed by seven successive World Cup qualifying wins without conceding a single goal, is convinced England's team leaders will set the right tone at the tournament.

"We have a strong culture with a core of leaders in the team. The atmosphere in the squad has the right energy," he said.

"Everyone is desperate to play. It is a good sign. Camp by camp we build a culture and the players take care of the standards.

"If we make sure we are going in the right direction maybe something special can be built."