Tuchel hails Bournemouth's Alex Scott as 'complete package' after England rout Croatia 7-0

Alex Scott marked his first England start with a commanding midfield display as Thomas Tuchel’s side thrashed Croatia 7-0 in Rijeka, with the England head coach singling out the Bournemouth midfielder as the “complete package”.

Scott, partnering Elliot Anderson in the centre of the park, brought energy and composure to a Nations League performance that saw England score seven without reply. Tuchel was effusive in his assessment of the 21-year-old after the final whistle.

“First start and what a start, what a performance,” Tuchel said. “He is so smooth on the ball, his decision making is at the highest level. He plays with so much confidence. He is so active, so confident. The work rate off the ball. He is just the complete package. He gave us a lot of mobility and a lot of variety and work rate in the centre of the pitch.”

The attacking four in front of Scott were equally devastating. Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka each scored twice, Jude Bellingham netted once and created three more, while Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers also got on the scoresheet.

Tuchel credited the cohesion of his front four for the performance, explaining his reluctance to rotate heavily between fixtures. “The movements in the last line are at the highest level and are getting better and better,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t want to change so much from match to match, to get the fluidity going and to get the automations right within the front four.”

The England manager stressed that the attacking intent is player-driven as much as it is tactical. “They are very good together at the moment and they enjoy playing together. It’s their belief and it’s also their wish and conviction to play like this. So this is not something that we have to convince them to do. It’s just the way they want to play.”

The result underlines England’s momentum under Tuchel, who took charge earlier this year, and raises the prospect of Scott — previously capped only as a substitute — establishing himself as a genuine option in the international midfield.