Exclusive: England legend urges Thomas Tuchel to include uncapped Chelsea target in World Cup squad
3 May 2026 13:00 BST |
5 min read
England legend Chris Waddle has told Thomas Tuchel to include Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott in his squad for this summer’s World Cup in North America.
Scott, 22, was called up to the senior team for the first time for England’s internationals against Serbia and Albania in November, but he was omitted from the enlarged 35-man squad in March, despite his form for Andoni Iraola’s side so far this season.
The former Bristol City midfielder, who helped England’s U21 side win the European Championship last summer, has started 31 of Bournemouth’s 34 Premier League fixtures this term and he netted his third league goal of the season during their recent 2-1 win over Arsenal.
Scott has played the entire 90 minutes in each of Bournemouth’s last 14 league fixtures, during which time they haven’t lost a single game, and when asked which outside shout should be included in England’s World Cup squad, Waddle selected the Bournemouth star as one his options.
Speaking on behalf of Genting Casino, where players can enjoy a diverse selection of slots including Football Cash Collect SlotWaddle told FootballTransfers: “I know Lewis Hall was in the squad last time, he’s played very well at left-back for Newcastle and we do struggle for left-backs at England.
“I like Adam Wharton at Crystal Palace. I like the way he plays in front of the back four, which would allow Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham, for example, to go and join in higher up the field.”
He then added: “I like Alex Scott at Bournemouth. I think he’s got better as the season’s gone on and since he’s been at Bournemouth he’s developed into a better player. Now he’s a fixture there. He was in and out of the team, but now he seems to be a permanent fixture.
“He’s another player who likes that defensive type role.
“When you play international football, you need legs, don’t get me wrong, but you’ve got to have technical ability, you’ve got to look after the ball. Those two guys (Wharton and Scott) can look after the ball.”
England head into the tournament as one of the favourites for glory, following back-to-back second-place finishes at the Euros, but Waddle believes there are still two major issues in Tuchel’s squad.
“Going forward, we’ve got enough No.10s and we’ve got enough wide players. I think we’ve got a problem supporting Harry Kane, we haven’t got another number nine of his ability or his quality and if he’s injured (that would be an issue),” the former Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur star said.
“I think defensively we can get caught out; I don’t think we’ve got a lot of selection for centre-backs, I don’t think we’ve got that many options.
“Centre-backs and the back-up to Kane are the problems we’ve got.”
Analysis: Will Alex Scott be included in England’s World Cup squad?
Despite Scott’s form for Bournemouth this season, he faces severe competition for a place in England’s squad, with Tuchel blessed with a number of top-quality options in midfield.
With Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Jordan Henderson, Kobbie Mainoo, James Garner and the aforementioned Wharton, in addition to Curtis Jones, also available for selection, the 22-year-old looks likely to miss out on selection.
However, he could still be set for a big summer after attracting transfer interest from both Chelsea and Manchester United, according to reports.
Scott has just two years remaining on his current contract at Bournemouth and speculation over a summer transfer is expected to intensify over the next few weeks if he continues to excel on the south coast.
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