Thomas Tuchel’s reign as England manager began with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Albania at Wembley, but the night truly belonged to Myles Lewis-Skelly. The 18-year-old Arsenal academy graduate marked his senior international debut with a historic goal, becoming England’s youngest-ever debutant scorer.
Selected to start at left-back, Lewis-Skelly repaid Tuchel’s faith in him with an energetic performance, capped off by a composed finish in the 20th minute. The teenager latched onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Jude Bellingham and calmly slotted his shot through the legs of Albanian goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha. At 18 years and 176 days old, Lewis-Skelly broke the previous record held by Marcus Rashford, who scored on his England debut at 18 years and 209 days in 2016.
It was a dream start for both the young full-back and Tuchel, who was managing his first game since replacing Gareth Southgate. England’s performance may not have been dramatically different from what was seen in the Southgate era, but there were encouraging signs, particularly in the fluidity of England’s attacking play.
Bellingham was instrumental in midfield, dictating play and providing a crucial assist for Lewis-Skelly’s opener. The Real Madrid star was everywhere on the pitch, creating chances and linking up well with the forwards. His ability to pick out a pass was evident again when he played Marcus Rashford through on goal later in the first half, though the Manchester United forward’s shot was well saved.
England had several opportunities to extend their lead before halftime. Fellow debutant Dan Burn came close, rising highest to meet a corner, only for his powerful header to be kept out by a combination of Strakosha and the crossbar. The towering defender, making his first appearance for the national team at the age of 31, impressed with his aerial dominance and defensive awareness.
Albania, to their credit, grew into the game after the break and looked dangerous during a strong spell midway through the second half. England’s defence, however, held firm, with Lewis-Skelly showing his defensive qualities as well as his attacking instincts. The young full-back was composed in possession and demonstrated his pace with an impressive recovery run to snuff out an Albanian counterattack.
With the visitors pressing for an equaliser, England’s captain Harry Kane secured the victory in the 78th minute. The Bayern Munich striker finished beautifully from an assist by Rice, scoring his 70th goal for the national team in his 104th appearance. Kane, who played in various positions at times, was fortunate to score a goal.
For Tuchel, it was a solid, if unspectacular, start to his tenure. He made some bold selection choices, including starting Lewis-Skelly and Burn, and was rewarded with a winning performance. While England’s overall display was not a radical departure from Southgate’s approach, the introduction of young talent like Lewis-Skelly suggests a willingness to evolve the squad ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
With this victory, England took an important step forward under their new manager. However, the real story of the night was Myles Lewis-Skelly, whose historic debut will be remembered as a significant moment in Three Lions history.
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