Brentford coach Justin Cochrane has been named the final addition to Thomas Tuchel’s England coaching team, the Football Association announced on Wednesday.
Tuchel, who officially took over as England’s head coach on January 1, has been gradually assembling his backroom staff. Cochrane will balance his role between England and Brentford as part of this setup.
The 43-year-old is no stranger to the FA, having previously worked with England’s youth teams from 2018 to 2021. He also brings experience from stints at Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Cochrane joins a coaching staff that includes assistant coach Anthony Barry, goalkeeping coach Henrique Hilário, performance coach Nicolas Mayer, and analyst James Melbourne.
Thomas Tuchel will lead England in his first matches as head coach next month when the team faces Albania and Latvia in World Cup qualifiers at Wembley. He is expected to announce his squad for the fixtures on March 14.
Justin Cochrane’s appointment marks another step toward greater diversity in the England coaching setup. He follows in the footsteps of Chris Powell, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and Ashley Cole, who previously worked under Lee Carsley during his interim tenure after Gareth Southgate’s departure in July.
In partnership with the Professional Footballers’ Association, the FA launched the Elite Coaching Placement Programme in 2018 to improve Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) representation across all England teams.
Last November, the FA set an ambitious goal of having 30% of the England men’s coaching staff come from ethnically diverse backgrounds by 2028. ESPN previously reported that the FA had been in discussions with Tuchel about ensuring BAME representation within his coaching team.