Tuchel's brutal Palmer snub is a warning shot to England hopefuls

Cristiano Ronaldo’s long, emotional video farewell to international football appeared to split opinion.

It tugged some heartstrings and turned some stomachs. The protracted, soppy social media post confirmed it is always about him, said Ronaldo’s detractors.

Maybe. But one thing that cannot be denied. Ronaldo’s commitment to Portugal was total.

There were no sickies. No workload management, or whatever you call it.

There were no bogus niggles preventing him from making a mid-winter trip to an Eastern European outpost. He played 234 times for his country. That is dedication. If that dedication fed his ego, so what?

He was a great servant to his national football team, simple as that. Cole Palmer, who has 14 England caps at the age of 24, is unlikely to be one of those.

At this rate, he will not have the chance to be. And, right now, that is how it should be.

Even the minority who believe the England team should have an English manager must be applauding Thomas Tuchel’s stance. He says it is nothing personal but it is clear the England manager believes Palmer should have turned up for the previous camp.

He was not the only one to withdraw. Declan Rice had a rest yet he is straight back in. But presumably, Tuchel thought Rice did indeed need a break. His workload over the past year has, after all, been more arduous than Palmer’s.

Palmer was left out of the World Cup squad and had a point to prove but the player and Chelsea decided to manage his workload. Palmer should have insisted he turned up.

He started for Chelsea in their last Premier League game before the international break and started for Chelsea in their first Premier League game after the international break.

Again, Tuchel says it is not personal but it certainly a warning shot to the rest of the squad to those on Tuchel’s long-list. There can be no picking and choosing when it comes to playing for England.

Kobbie Mainoo was also a withdrawal from the last group and he has not made it back. There is a school of thought that says a manager should always pick the best players available.

But that should not always be the case at international level.

Palmer was available for the games against Croatia and Spain but Tuchel clearly wanted to send him a message that commitment to the national cause must be Ronaldo-esque.

And there is nothing wrong with that.