Beyond former Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel, there may be another member of a new-look England backroom staff who feels familiar to Sunderland supporters.
There is a good reason for that, too.
And while Kyril Louis-Dreyfus and Kristjaan Speakman have had to handle their fair share of criticism regarding their managerial decisions at the Stadium of Light – principally the sacking of Tony Mowbray and the bungled appointment of Mick Beale – clearly the Sunderland chiefs know a talented young coach when they see one.
Before Beale, Sunderland looked at bringing in Will Still; the baby-faced tactician only three years older than club captain Luke O’Neil.
Still, arguably the breakout coaching talent of the last 12 months, now has Lens sixth in France’s Ligue 1.
Kieran McKenna, now a Premier League manager with Ipswich Town, was another they considered when Mowbray was given the boot.
Jimmy Thelin, meanwhile, has since taken over Aberdeen while guiding the Dons to seven wins from seven at the start of the new Scottish Premiership campaign. Thelin was on Sunderland’s radar while working in Swedfen with Elfsborg.
Sunderland once considered now-England coach Anthony Barry
As for Anthony Barry, another coach with admirers at the Stadium of Light has now joined Thomas Tuchel on shaking hands with the FA and spearheading England’s 2026 World Cup hopes.
Still only 38, Barry was reportedly a candidate to take the Sunderland job after Alex Neil left the Black Cats in the lurch on the brink of the 2022/23 season. The former Fleetwood Town, Yeovil and Accrington Stanley midfielder was working, at the time, as an assistant coach at Premier League giants Chelsea.
There are no prizes for guessing who sat next to him in the Stamford Bridge dugout back in those days.
And once Tuchel took up a new role at Bayern Munich, the German was quick to ensure that Barry would be joining him on the flight to Bavaria.
“Anthony, among others in the coaching staff, has quality at the highest level,” Tuchel said during their time together at the Bundesliga giants, highlighting specifically his expertise in the set-piece department.
“The whole package is right for him; his personality, the love of the game, the love of his job, his passion and his quality. He brings a lot of energy. His work with set-pieces at Chelsea was on a whole new level for me.”
Thomas Tuchel admiration shows Sunderland knowledge of manager market
Barry honed his understanding of the international game during spells with the Republic of Ireland, Portugal and Belgium.
An understanding that should help him adapt to life in arguably the most high-pressured environment in world football; Tuchel’s remit being to end England’s near-60 year wait for a major trophy.
As for Sunderland, the appointments of Mowbray and then Beale may give the impression of a club who prefer Championship experience. Those who have ‘been there and done it’ before.
But those behind-the-scenes pursuits of Will Still, Jimmy Thelin, Anthony Barry and the man currently guiding the Black Cats to the top of the table – former Lorient coach Regis le Bris – highlights a shrewd knowledge of the manager market underpinning the Louis-Dreyfus and Speakman leadership.