Expectations are low before England close their uneven Nations League campaign with Thursday’s trip to Greece and Sunday’s home game against the Republic of Ireland. The withdrawals are piling up, fatigue is rising and Thomas Tuchel has decided that he has better things to do than show up to watch the team that he will inherit from Lee Carsley in January.
Yet there is still meaning to be found in these fixtures and if Tuchel could ask for one favour from Carsley it would surely be to leave him a functioning left-back. England, who clambered to the final of Euro 2024 with the right‑footed Kieran Trippier dutifully playing on his weaker side while Luke Shaw battled for full fitness, are crying out for someone to step up and make the position their own.
Many have tried and many have failed in the decade since Ashley Cole’s international career ended. Nobody has stood out more than Shaw but the Manchester United defender’s body has repeatedly let him down, restricting him to 34 caps in the past 10 years, and he has been unavailable since the Euros. Carsley, like Gareth Southgate before him, has had to grasp for solutions. The interim even tried Trent Alexander-Arnold on the left in England’s previous game, last month’s win in Finland.
For this camp, though, one figure stands out. Lewis Hall, called up to the seniors for the first time after his recent surge for Newcastle, is an intriguing figure. The 20-year-old has never been in contention before and it was only when he silenced Bukayo Saka during Newcastle’s win over Arsenal this month that people began to regard him as a viable solution to England’s left-sided problem.
Hall, who played as a central midfielder in Chelsea’s academy, even has a link with Tuchel. The German coached the youngster at Stamford Bridge and gave him his debut in an FA Cup tie against Chesterfield in January 2022.
“I just remember him and his staff being really welcoming to me,” Hall says as he recalls working with England’s incoming head coach. “His sessions were really good. There was a lot of possession, which I really enjoyed.”
Tuchel will find a different player to the one he encountered at Chelsea. Hall, who played on the left of a back three in that 5-1 victory over Chesterfield, has made huge progress this season. He has an adventurous mindset, an enthusiasm for attacking play, but he had much to learn about intensity and the defensive side of the game after joining Newcastle on an initial loan in the summer of 2023.
Hall, who comes from a family of Newcastle fans, struggled after moving to the north-east. He was away from home for the first time – “It took me a couple of months to get settled in the area,” he says – and he was taken off at half-time in three of his four appearances for Eddie Howe’s side.
“It wasn’t what I was expecting to happen,” he says. “I went in there with the anticipation of playing a lot more than I did. After that it was just working with all the coaching staff, improving my game, improving mainly the defensive part. I feel I have developed that a lot and I was grateful to get in the side towards the end of the season.
The disappointment of being on the sidelines made Hall, who cites Kevin De Bruyne and Hatem Ben Arfa as his favourite players, mentally tougher. “I look back and think that got me where I am today,” he says. “There’s a lot of times after training where I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t really frustrated. I would never give up. But I was starting to doubt little things. But I stuck with it, I got a lot of support from my family and friends, and everyone at the club. I can’t thank them enough.”
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Howe searched for signs of resilience. Hall stepped up in training and completed six consecutive starts for the first time in his senior career when he featured in Newcastle’s 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. He finally feels settled in Howe’s defence, playing 14 times in all competitions this season.
“I feel I could play in midfield if the manager wanted me to,” Hall says. “I did in pre-season but as a career I feel I have more ability at left-back then in midfield. The way we play at Newcastle really suits my game. The full-backs are really involved. I get loads of the ball in good areas. I like to get forward, so when I am building from the back and getting into the final third, I like to do that and create chances.”
England suffered from a glaring lack of balance during the Euros. Trippier constantly looked to check back, slowing moves and closing passing avenues. Hall could aid distribution. He knows he has much to learn and admits there will be some nerves if he makes his debut in Athens.
Yet this is an opportunity for England. They have stumbled upon something novel: a left-footed left-back. Carsley could leave quite the welcome present on Tuchel’s desk if he can kickstart Hall’s international career.
Source: theguardian.com
