Trevoh Chalobah was in New York when he learnt he was going to be a part of it. But when Thomas Tuchel tried to spread the news, it was delayed. Chalobah was in Times Square. It was not until he got back to his hotel that he found out that Tuchel had been in touch. Chalobah’s holiday was about to be curtailed. He was going to join England’s World Cup 2026 squad.
“My heart just dropped,” explained the defender. “When I saw the message, he asked if I was free to call, and I said yes. We spoke on FaceTime and he broke the news to me. I was just over the moon.” Chalobah became England’s 27th man, the beneficiary of Tino Livramento’s misfortune. When the Newcastle full-back was ruled out of the tournament, Chalobah took his place.
