Thomas Tuchel and Declan Rice Praise Myles Lewis-Skelly's Impressive England Debut

England midfielder Declan Rice and manager Thomas Tuchel have praised 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly after his impressive debut against Albania. Lewis-Skelly became the youngest player to score on his senior debut for England, earning rave reviews from his teammates and coaching staff.

England midfielder Declan Rice has praised his teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly, who made a remarkable debut for the national team on Friday. The 18-year-old left-back became the youngest player to score on his senior debut for England, finding the net in the 20th minute of their 2-0 victory over Albania in their World Cup qualifying Group K opener at Wembley.

Rice, who plays alongside Lewis-Skelly at Arsenal, expressed his admiration for the young player's fearlessness and talent. “Week-on-week he's shown how good he is, and the fearlessness he has in his performance,” Rice told British media. Lewis-Skelly's impressive breakthrough season at Arsenal earned him his first England call-up, and he has already made a significant impact on the national team.

❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Declan Rice: “Lewis-Skelly is just fearless. He’s only 18. I try to look after him as best I can. I knew he was going to play like that”.

“The confidence he has in himself, the way he’s trained all week and what I’ve seen at the club”.

“This is only the start for him”. pic.twitter.com/Gb3AxzKNJx

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 21, 2025

As a product of the Arsenal academy, Lewis-Skelly has demonstrated his potential for a long and successful career. Rice's praise suggests that the young left-back has a bright future ahead of him, both with England and at the club level.

Declan Rice has emphasized the importance of Myles Lewis-Skelly's hunger and dedication to his craft. According to Rice, the young player's success depends on his own drive and motivation. “That's on him - how much you want it and how much you want to keep going. He needs to be hungry every day. He needs to keep being himself around the training ground at Arsenal, around England, and keep pushing himself.”

❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Declan Rice: “Lewis-Skelly is just fearless. He’s only 18. I try to look after him as best I can. I knew he was going to play like that”.

“The confidence he has in himself, the way he’s trained all week and what I’ve seen at the club”.

“This is only the start for him”. pic.twitter.com/Gb3AxzKNJx

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 21, 2025

Rice praised Lewis-Skelly's potential and current impact on the team. “He's an asset for us now. He's 18 years old and has got a long career in the game if he keeps doing good things.” Rice also revealed that Lewis-Skelly only found out he was starting on the day of the match, but his confidence and self-belief were evident. “He didn't even know he was going to be starting until today and I just knew he was going to have a good performance, because he has that belief in himself.”

New England manager Thomas Tuchel was equally impressed with Lewis-Skelly's debut. Tuchel highlighted the youngster's confidence, humor, and maturity. “He is full of confidence and very full of humour and such an open and mature character,” the German said. Tuchel noted that Lewis-Skelly's on-pitch demeanor is reflective of his off-pitch personality. “Everything you see on the pitch you see off the pitch ... He does it with a natural confidence and this is how he plays football.”