Morgan Gibbs-White has praised new England head coach Thomas Tuchel as "incredible" after joining the national team for upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia, despite initially being left out of the squad.
The Nottingham Forest midfielder received a surprise call from Tuchel following Cole Palmer's injury, with the German coach asking: "Are you still upset with me, or do you want to join us, and fancy training with us tomorrow?"
Gibbs-White told BBC Radio 5 Live his response was immediate: "There was no question there. I was smiling from ear to ear. I am delighted."
The 25-year-old admitted he was "upset" and "disappointed" when first overlooked for selection, especially considering his strong performances that have helped propel Forest to a surprising third place in the Premier League table.
"I was upset, a little bit disappointed, but at the same time you always have to look at the quality of players England have," Gibbs-White explained. "I took that into consideration, but when he told me, I respected his decision."
During their initial conversation, Gibbs-White had expressed his belief that his club form warranted inclusion: "I said to him 'I think I have done enough to get the call-up considering the club form that we are in, but you are the manager, you make the decisions, and I will respect that.'"
Tuchel, who previously managed Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris St-Germain, has made early efforts to connect with England's players since his appointment. Gibbs-White appreciates this approach: "To be fair, [Tuchel] has been incredible. I think he has done [that] with most of the players. I think as soon as he got the job he has been in contact with the majority of the players. He is a really easy-going sort of guy, nice to speak to."
The midfielder was particularly impressed by Tuchel's initiative: "I felt it was top from him, really good starting that relationship with us before even meeting us."
After joining Tuchel's first training session on Monday, Gibbs-White described the new coach's style as "really intense," adding, "I believe when you know someone knows what he wants, you believe in it as well. That intensity to show that he is not just here for a jolly, he is here to win, that was really nice to see."
Gibbs-White's call-up comes during a remarkable turnaround for Nottingham Forest. Exactly 12 months ago, the club was deducted four points for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, dropping them into the relegation zone. Though they eventually finished 17th last season, they're now just four points behind second-placed Arsenal and on course for Champions League qualification.
"When you put it like that, it's a remarkable year," Gibbs-White reflected. "Just to see where we have come from, from this time last year, is incredible. I think the Forest fans deserve that the most. Getting back into the Premier League was one thing. Scrambling in relegation for the two years we were in the Premier League obviously wasn't nice. It wasn't enjoyable, but now we have given the fans something to cheer about."
As Forest's captain for most of this season, with five league goals and seven assists to his name, Gibbs-White feels he's in "the best form I have ever been in." This confidence has followed him to international duty: "Coming here [with England] with that confidence, that level of football at the minute, I feel as though I am in a really good place. [I'm] really proud. Walking out at the City Ground every week, I do get goosebumps."
Asked if he could have imagined Forest's current lofty position a year ago, Gibbs-White was candid: "I would have snapped your hand off. I'd have thought you were talking rubbish." However, he revealed there was early optimism within the squad: "Funny thing is, in pre-season we had that belief that we could do something this season. Did we think to this level? Probably not, but we felt that we could achieve something decent this season."
Gibbs-White credits manager Nuno Espirito Santo for much of their success: "With the pre-season we had under the manager, because he really implemented his ideas, and his man management and his belief into the players, he really got to know everyone individually and I think that is what has helped us massively. We work so hard, day in and day out, to achieve these sorts of goals and you know everyone is just in a good place at the minute. The morale is high and the vibe is very high."
