England hand standby keeper Jason Steele a World Cup bronze medal

England's players called standby goalkeeper Jason Steele up to collect a World Cup bronze medal after their 6-4 third-place play-off win over France in Miami. The Brighton keeper was not part of Thomas Tuchel's final 26-man squad and has never been capped, but the squad made sure he received a medal alongside them.

Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick in the win and took home the match ball, while the rest of the group were presented with their bronze medals after the match. Once all 26 had been honoured, several players gestured for Steele to join them on the stage, with Jude Bellingham among those urging him forward and Jordan Henderson handing him a medal.

What happened

Steele was named in England squads for March friendlies but did not win a cap, sitting on the bench against Japan and Uruguay without getting on. He was nevertheless brought along to the tournament to work with the goalkeeping department alongside Jordan Pickford, Dean Henderson and James Trafford.

When he announced his squad in May, Tuchel said he had selected three goalkeepers plus Steele, and used the moment to thank the player for his contribution and Brighton for their cooperation in releasing him.

• England beat France 6-4 in the third-place play-off in Miami
• Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick and claimed the match ball
• Jason Steele was an uncapped standby keeper outside the 26-man squad
• Jude Bellingham and Jordan Henderson led the gesture to include him
• Steele worked with Pickford, Henderson and Trafford in the goalkeeping group

Tuchel's view

Tuchel has repeatedly pointed to the mentality of the group as one of its strengths, and he returned to the theme after the France match. He said Jordan Henderson, who is still wearing a cast after breaking his arm following the win over Mexico, had delivered a speech at the team hotel before the game that put the occasion in perspective.

The England coach also reflected on the semi-final defeat to Argentina, in which his side led 1-0 until late in the second half before going out. He described the second-half performance as a painful part of the learning process and said the challenge was to recover and perform again 72 hours later in the Miami heat.

The bronze medal ends England's tournament on a high note, and the sight of an uncapped standby player being folded into the celebrations will be filed away as a marker of the squad environment Tuchel has built. Attention now turns to the next international window and whether Steele, still awaiting a first cap, forces his way into future squads on merit.