“I’m sorry I have a German passport”

New England head coach Thomas Tuchel wants to show Three Lions fans he is proud to work despite his German passport.

The former Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich manager becomes the third non-Englishman to hold the post after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello.

The 51-year-old, who will be assisted by England manager Anthony Barry, will take over on January 1 ahead of the World Cup qualifying campaign after signing an 18-month contract.

A statement from the Football Association revealed that Tuchel signed a contract on October 8, ahead of the last round of international matches, but the announcement was delayed to “minimize distraction on the international pitch”.

before Thursday’s home loss to Greeceinterim head coach Lee Carsley had been widely considered the favorite to land the job permanently.

The recruitment process began following the resignation of Gareth Southgate in July, with a number of candidates interviewed, leading to Tuchel being identified as the preferred appointment.

Carsley will remain at the helm England for the final round of Nations League fixtures next month against Greece and the Republic of Ireland before returning to his role as Under-21 manager.

There have been some doubts from English supporters and media about Tuchel’s German nationality and his ability to take the Three Lions forward.

Reacting to these views, Tuchel said: “I regret having a German passport. All these fans felt my passion for the Premier League and the country. I loved living here.

“I hope I can show them that I am proud to be the England manager and I will do everything I can to show respect for this job and this country.”

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Tuchel also reiterated his comments that taking the England job was a huge “privilege” for him, adding: “I understood very quickly that it’s a big job. I think it’s always the job you’re in that is the most important job.

“It doesn’t make much sense to compare, but it feels great and a privilege. It’s very new because I come from club football so the pace and the responsibility, the role is a new role which is very exciting.

“I was very open to it and I liked the idea. Once Mark (Bullingham) and John (McDermott) made it clear that this job is about football, we never lost the momentum and once I left make a period of time in my mind from January to the World Cup, I already felt excited.

“It suited my passion and my drive to push this group of players and be part of this federation with such a strong record in recent tournaments, to get over the line and put a second star on the shirt.”

On how he overcame initial doubts about the job, Tuchel continued: “Mark and John made it very clear that this is about football.

“That got me excited very quickly because I wasn’t sure before we had the first talk if this is a role for me, in international football.

“The calendar is very different to club football, but then we found a lot of similarities and things that suited my approach and desire to achieve special things.

“I always wanted to go back to England, that was my big goal. I have the best memories of the country, the league and the players. The attitude towards the game, of the supporters that shapes the players and the character of the players.

“It’s unique, which is why the offer came at the right time: we kept the momentum going, and within a few weeks we found a vision to share and a project and adventure that I’m very happy to be a part of.

“Now I have to live up to it, and I know there are some trophies missing in the federation! I want to help make that happen.”