Barry, 38, started out in the Everton youth ranks and went on to make more than 300 appearances in a playing career that saw him enjoy spells at Chester City, Wrexham and Accrington Stanley.
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But it is in coaching that the lifelong Liverpool supporter has really made his name, working with Tuchel at Chelsea, where they won the Champions League together, and at Bayern Munich, where they won the Bundesliga. He also has international experience after working with Republic of Ireland and alongside former Everton boss Roberto Martinez with Belgium and Portugal.
Barry, a UEFA Pro licence holder, said: “For any Englishman in football, working with the national team is the pinnacle and I didn’t hesitate when Thomas asked me to come and join him again. I know what a great place St. George’s Park is and how much of an advantage it gives our England teams, and the support it gives to coaches.
“This squad is very talented and have done so much to bring the country together, I look forward to meeting and working with them on this exciting project.”
Tuchel, 51, replaces Gareth Southgate, who led England to two European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final and quarter-final before leaving the post in the summer. The German, alongside Barry, will take over the reins on January 1.
Interim head coach, and ex-Everton midfielder, Lee Carsley will remain in charge of the Three Lions through to the conclusion of the Nations League group stage next month.. He will then return to lead England’s defence of their European Under-21 Championship title.
The FA say the confidential process to find Southgate's successor saw several candidates interviewed and was led by FA CEO Mark Bullingham and men’s technical director John McDermott.
Tuchel, voted UEFA and FIFA’s coach of the year in 2021 in recognition of his work at Chelsea, was identified as the preferred appointment.
Tuchel, who won the league and led Paris Saint-Germain to a Champions League final during time time in the French capital, said: “I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team. I have long felt a personal connection to the game in this country, and it has given me some incredible moments already. To have the chance to represent England is a huge privilege, and the opportunity to work with this special and talented group of players is very exciting.
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“Working closely with Anthony as my assistant coach, we will do everything we can to make England successful and the supporters proud. I want to thank the FA, in particular Mark and John, for their trust and I am looking forward to starting our journey together.”
Tuchel and Barry, who is leaving his position with Portugal, will bring a small backroom team with them to St. George’s Park, with a further coaching update expected in the near future.
Bullingham said: “We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him. Our recruitment process has been very thorough. Before the Euros we had a contingency plan and outlined exactly the qualities we would be looking for in a coach. Since Gareth resigned, we have worked through the candidate pool, meeting a number of coaches and evaluating them against that criteria.
“Thomas was very impressive and stood out with his vast expertise and his drive. Anthony is a top English talent and also has international experience with Republic of Ireland, Belgium and Portugal.
“Fundamentally we wanted to hire a coaching team to give us the best possible chance of winning a major tournament, and we believe they will do just that. Thomas and the team have a single-minded focus on giving us the best possible chance to win the World Cup in 2026.“I would like to thank Lee for stepping up and doing everything we asked of him – he is a very talented coach and a major part of our England pathway. He will now focus on retaining the U21 EURO title in the summer. These are exciting times for England fans at senior and MU21 level, and we look forward to welcoming Thomas and Anthony when they begin work in January.”
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