- Loftus-Cheek last played for England in 2018.
- Suffered a major Achilles injury in 2019, taking two years to recover.
- Joined AC Milan in 2023, where he has 71 appearances, 11 goals, and 3 assists.
- Says he had “forgotten” about England but kept pushing at the club level.Worked under Tuchel at Chelsea in multiple positions.
- Hopes his versatility can boost his chances ahead of the World Cup.
- England face Andorra and Serbia in qualifiers this week.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek admits he “completely forgot” about playing for England during his long absence from the national team, saying he had gotten used to being “just a fan.”
The AC Milan midfielder last wore the Three Lions jersey in November 2018, when England faced the United States in a friendly. That same year, he was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad that reached the World Cup semi-finals in Russia.
In 2019, Loftus-Cheek suffered a ruptured Achilles while playing for Chelsea in a friendly in the US, just before the Europa League final. The injury kept him out of the England picture for years and took a heavy toll mentally.
“When I ruptured my Achilles, I was on such a high before it happened,” he said. “I had a hard time mentally, but I was still young, so I believed I could come back.”
He revealed it took him nearly two years to feel like himself again, crediting his recovery to both supportive people around him and his own self-drive.
Since joining AC Milan in 2023, Loftus-Cheek has made 71 appearances, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists. He said pushing at the club level kept him motivated even when he no longer thought about international duty.
“You still want to push in club football with the hope of maybe getting a sniff,” he explained. “But after a while, I just became a fan of the England team instead.”
Loftus-Cheek also spoke about working with Thomas Tuchel, his former manager at Chelsea and now England boss. Tuchel often deployed him in unusual roles, including at right wing-back and even centre-back.
“When he first told me about playing wing-back, I said no way,” he recalled. “But I ended up doing it anyway. Tuchel values my physicality, and I learned a lot under him.”
The midfielder believes Tuchel has always kept an eye on him and thought that could help his case for an England recall.
With England set to play Andorra at Villa Park on Saturday before facing Serbia next week, Loftus-Cheek is optimistic but realistic about his role.
“Who knows,” he said about making the World Cup squad next year. “I can play different positions. At Milan, I’ve been playing higher up to help with goals, but I’ve also played deeper under Tuchel. In a tournament, versatility is important, so I’m happy to play anywhere for the team.”
