At 35 years old and without playing a Premier League match since August 2024, Jason Steele, the eternal second goalkeeper of Brighton, was the big surprise in Thomas Tuchel's call-up of 35 players for England's friendly matches against Uruguay (on the 27th) and Japan (on the 28th). This is Steele's first call-up to the senior national team, unexpectedly placing him as a candidate to join the squad for the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, albeit in a very specific role — the German coach admitted the possibility of taking a fourth goalkeeper solely for training, a practice with tradition in England. "England has a history of taking a fourth goalkeeper for training," Tuchel told reporters. "We identified Jason as a candidate. He is in the March camp and has this opportunity." In statements to the English Football Association's media, the coach detailed the plan for Steele: "It's a somewhat particular case because we plan to take four goalkeepers to the World Cup, and the fourth goalkeeper has a special role. The first three goalkeepers will compete and support each other for the matches, but they will also compete, of course, for a place in goal." Tuchel added that the role of the fourth member will be more of specialized support. "He will support the goalkeeper group, the goalkeeper coach, the penalty-taking group, and relieve a lot of the workload from the others. We need a player with quality, experience, and the right energy and attitude, and we believe Jason is that player." The potential call-up had already been suggested by Fabian Hurzeler, Steele's coach at Brighton. When asked about a possible return of Danny Welbeck to the national team, Hurzeler shifted the focus to the experienced player: "It's not just Danny; I also want to emphasize that we have an excellent second goalkeeper, Jason Steele, who, although he doesn't play, is in incredible shape. It's impressive to see him train every day. When I need him, he is there. He performed very well in the FA Cup. So, he is also a great candidate." Steele's career has been marked by long periods on the bench. His last appearance in the Premier League dates back to August 2024, with Bart Verbruggen, the Netherlands national team starter, taking over the goal for Brighton. Since the beginning of last season, Steele's appearances have been limited to eight matches in domestic cups. His career suffered a setback with two consecutive relegations from the Championship to the third division, first with Blackburn (2016/17) and then with Sunderland (2017/18). His time at Sunderland, marked by disastrous performances and criticism from fans, was a low point for Steele, documented in the Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die. "I never watched the documentary and I don't think I ever will. In the end, I thought, 'I don't know if this is still for me.' I had three young children, was married, lived in the area, and there were times I didn't even want to take the kids to school. It was horrible. Losing every week, I didn't want to look at my phone, I didn't want to leave the house." Signed on a free transfer by Brighton in 2018, Steele reinvented himself as a respected member of the squad, serving as a backup to Maty Ryan, Robert Sanchez, and now Verbruggen. A turning point occurred in March 2023 when then-coach Roberto De Zerbi promoted him to starter over Sanchez. Steele seized the opportunity and was crucial in helping the team achieve a historic sixth place in the Premier League, which secured the club's first European qualification. Despite not being the first choice in goal, Jason Steele is seen as a key figure in the locker room, a view shared by several coaches, including De Zerbi, Hurzeler, and apparently Tuchel. In national team competitions, issues such as group dynamics within the squad have been cited as causes for some of England's failures. In this context, Steele is viewed in England as a unifying figure, whose importance transcends the need to wear gloves.
Jason Steele Could Go remains central to this story.
Jason Steele Could Go remains central to this story.
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