Eddie Howe told Newcastle United still have ‘one of the best in the Premier League’ despite recent poor form

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Newcastle United have several stars who could be picked for Thomas Tuchel’s first England squad.

The new Three Lions boss has been hard at work behind the scenes, attending games and working alongside his assistants to put his list together.

Thomas Tuchel will announce his first England squad since becoming head coach on Friday – Newcastle United are expected to be represented in the squad.

Anthony Gordon is suspended for Newcastle’s next three games, including the Carabao Cup final against Liverpool, he should be given the nod thanks to his 15 goal involvements in all competitions this season.

Elsewhere, Tino Livramento made his England debut last November under interim head coach Lee Carsley and could be named amongst the 26-man squad.

Promising left-back Lewis Hall is out until the end of the season which is a huge blow for Newcastle and Tuchel who was expected to name him in his group of players who will take on Albania and Latvia later this month.

Newcastle have also had players like Callum Wilson named in the England squad in the past, but the 32-year-old’s lack of appearances and current form mean his inclusion is unlikely. Now, a BBC pundit has backed another Newcastle star to earn more caps for the Three Lions.

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Fara Williams’ high praise for Newcastle’s Nick Pope

Nick Pope has had an inconsistent season, to say the least. The shot-stopper came back from a serious shoulder injury at the back end of last season but has struggled to rekindle the form he had before that.

In his first season with the Magpies, Pope kept 14 clean sheets, the second highest to Manchester United’s David de Gea.

It’s a completely different story in 2025, with Pope struggling to cement his place in Eddie Howe’s starting XI, with Martin Dubravka making more of a claim to be the number one goalkeeper while Pope was out injured with a knee injury.

Newcastle fans blasted Pope for his performance in the Magpies 4-3 win against Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park, with many claiming that he is nowhere near the player he once was under Howe.

Despite that, BBC pundit Fara Williams has backed Pope in her recent column.

Williams claimed that Pope is still “one of the best in the Premier League” for his shot-stopping ability and is ‘probably’ the best English goalkeeper.

The former Arsenal and Liverpool women’s star makes a point to say that Pope’s big weakness is his distribution which could prove costly in his bid to return to the England squad.

Despite that, Howe is still a big fan of Pope, agreeing with Williams that a statement that he is the best shot-stopper in the league.

Williams also said that Pope was the standout English goalkeeper before his injuries and should have had his chance in the squad during that period.

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Nick Pope’s future at Newcastle

Sporting director Paul Mitchell has been tasked with finding Newcastle a new goalkeeper in the summer. Recent reports have stated that Newcastle want James Trafford who is having an exceptional season for Burnley, keeping 25 clean sheets in the Championship.

However, Trafford will only join Newcastle if he is given assurances that he will not be an out-and-out second-choice goalkeeper at the club and will be guaranteed game time next season.

That puts Pope’s chances of cementing himself back as Newcastle’s first-choice shot-stopper into even more jeopardy. Now 32, Pope still has a lot left to give in his career, but there are doubts over whether he can still consistently perform at the highest level.

Newcastle currently have five goalkeepers on their books, including three who haven’t made a single Premier League appearance this campaign. Only Odysseas Vlachodimos can boast an appearance for the Magpies alongside Pope and Dubravka, with the Greek international having a 45-minute cameo in the Carabao Cup against Wimbledon.