Danny Welbeck a ‘longer arm’ of the coach, says Hurzeler after England snub

Brighton & Hove Albion head coach Fabian Hürzeler has praised Danny Welbeck’s leadership and cultural influence, describing the striker as a “longer arm for the coach” despite his omission from the latest England squad.

Speaking after Thomas Tuchel announced a 35-man provisional squad that did not include the veteran forward, Hürzeler emphasized that Welbeck’s value extends far beyond his goal-scoring contributions on the pitch.

Hürzeler drew a comparison to Germany international Pascal Groß, noting that while Groß acts as a tactical extension of a manager’s instructions, Welbeck serves as a vital social and professional glue within the team.

“Germany head coach Julien Nagelsmann had a press conference talking about Pascal Gross, there’s a phrase in Germany, ‘he’s the longer arm from the coach’, and he makes players around him better.

“That’s a 100 per cent also the phrase I would give to Danny Welbeck. He can be a longer arm for the coach in a different way. What I mean is in a different way than Pascal. Pascal is more in the game regarding tactics. Danny Welbeck is an unbelievably great connector. He can connect different ages, he can connect different cultures and I think that’s something that really helps the coach.”

The tribute comes at a time of heightened debate regarding Welbeck’s international future under new England manager Thomas Tuchel. Despite the striker’s consistent form in the Premier League, he was a high-profile absentee from the group selected for the upcoming international window.

Welbeck has 12 Premier League goals this season, the most he has ever achieved.