The Full English Midfield Debate - Bournemouth Star Called Into Stacked Engine Room

The Full English Midfield Debate - Bournemouth Star Called Into Stacked Engine Room

As time draws ever closer to the World Cup in North America next summer, Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel has added a further midfielder to the conversation as to who will be selected for a seat on the plane.

England will face Serbia and Albania next week after already qualifying for the finals by beating Latvia 5-0 last month. The manager's latest squad selection has caused huge deliberation between fans as there is a chance that two stars could be given their international debut.

England's Endless Midfield Talent

Following Jude Bellignham's exclusion from England's last camp, there was heavy criticism aimed towards the German coach. However some fans understood the decision and whilst every fan of England knows Bellingham will be one of the first names on the teamsheet, there is huge competition for places in the remaining midfield positions.

The latest new recruit to the national team is Bournemouth's Alex Scott. As it stands, the Cherries are currently sitting in 5th place in the Premier League and are largely over-performing, as they did last season.

At the heart of their success has been the 22-year-old. Scott plays with a maturity and charisma that is beyond his years and manager Andoni Iraola has really helped develop the youngsters game since his arrival at the South Coast side.

There is every similarity from Scott's call-up to Elliot Anderson's England debut back in September. The pair are a year apart in age and both have very high ceilings. If Scott is able to replicate his counterpart's debut performance and pick up the player of the match award, then Tuchel will be left scratching his head.

His first-ever call up to the senior @England squad 🦁🦁🦁

Couldn't be prouder of you, @AlexScott_7 ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/k8x9WpIk3d

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) November 7, 2025

Whilst there are worse dilemmas to have for the Three Lions boss, having to leave out players of high quality is never easy. Many fans have hailed Anderson as a certain starter come the summer, whilst Adam Wharton will be hoping to have something to say about that.

Declan Rice seems nailed on to start as the no.8 and so it appears that players like Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze, Phil Foden and Morgan Gibbs-White will all be competing for those final central midfield roles.

Where Should Scott Play?

Whilst it's still unknown how Tuchel plans to utilise the Bournemouth man in the England squad, to gain an idea we can analyse the role he plays at club level.

Scott plays in a double pivot, where the Gurnsey-born midfielder has to have a reserved approach to the way that he plays. He can be regarded as a true all-rounder, not afraid at running back towards his own goal, whilst also being more than capable on the ball to dictate play.

He's not necessarily a powerful runner like Declan Rice and perhaps not on the level of Elliot Anderson at passing. But he does have a deceptive ability to beat a man and has in fact been fouled 16 times this season.

It showcases his skills at luring a foul to get some restbite for his team, which could be a huge asset to have to dictate the flow of a game. For that reason it is most likely that Scott will be tested in either the 8 or the 6 position to allow him the freedom to get on the ball and make things happen.

Against lesser opposition it will be an opportunity for the midfielder to express himself and really stake a claim to the manager as to why he should be included in next summer's squad. He alongside Nico O'Reilly would be walking out with the England shirt on for the very first time, after both featuring for their country at youth level.

🚨 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟: Nico O'Reilly has been called up to the England squad for the first time. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Well deserved as he's been excellent for Man City this season. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/ZbamerpECF

— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 7, 2025

Form Does Matter

After Nottingham Forest are already on their third manager of the season and still struggling, it has resulted in Morgan Gibbs-White losing his place in the squad. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has also been left out, after making his first England appearance since 2018 just last month.

Despite AC Milan doing well in Serie A, Loftus-Cheek has largely been used as a substitute, forcing Tuchel's hand to look for alternative options. Speaking on the ex-Chelsea star in the past, the England manager has been full of praise, so a recall before the summer would not be out of the question.

The quality in the team is as high as it has ever been and with players like Cole Palmer still to return from injury, the signs are very positive heading to North America in 2026.