England have confirmed Thomas Tuchel as their new head coach.

The German - who signed his contract on October 8 after the FA had interviewed a number of candidates - will officially begin his new role on January 1, the governing body has confirmed.

Tuchel, who was also heavily linked with the Manchester United job had Erik ten Hag been given the boot, is understood to have signed an initial 18-month contract taking him up to the 2026 World Cup, and he will be assisted by regular right-hand man Anthony Barry.

Even though Tuchel signed his contract over a week ago, the FA delayed the announcement of his appointment to minimise disruption in the camp while interim head coach Lee Carsley focused on their Nations League matches against Greece and Finland.

"I am very proud to have been given the honour of leading the England team," Tuchel told englandfootball.com. "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.

"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."

Following Gareth Southgate's resignation after the Euro 2024 final, FA CEO Mark Bullingham and technical director John McDermott immediately began searching for his successor, and "several" managers were interviewed for the position.

The likes of Eddie Howe and Graham Potter were believed to have been among the main contenders, as was ex-Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino before he decided to take charge of the USA national team.

It was also reported earlier this week that an approach had been made to Manchester City's Pep Guardiola, and Carsley was also a contender for the top job, despite sending mixed messages about whether he wanted the position.

However, Carsley's confusing comments make more sense now that it has been revealed that Tuchel signed his contract before the 2-1 defeat to Greece last Thursday, and the 50-year-old will remain in charge for November's matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland before going back to the Under-21s.

"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," FA CEO Bullingham added.

"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."

Meanwhile, Barry - who also served as Tuchel's assistant at Chelsea and Bayern Munich - added: "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 returns to the dugout a few months on from leaving Bayern Munich, whom he led to the 2022-23 Bundesliga title after replacing Julian Nagelsmann before the Bavarians could only muster a third-placed finish last season.

During his successful time as Chelsea boss, Tuchel masterminded the Blues' run to Champions League glory in the 2020-21 season, as well as winning the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup at Stamford Bridge.

The German - who becomes the third foreign head coach to manage the England men's team after Sven-Goran Eriksson and Fabio Capello - also won six pieces of silverware during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, as well as leading them to the final of the 2019-20 Champions League.

England currently sit second in League B Group 2 of the UEFA Nations League, three points behind Greece, meaning that Tuchel's first match in charge could come in the relegation/promotion playoffs in March.

Meanwhile, Carsley's final two matches in charge will come against Greece in Athens on November 14, three days before England host Ireland at Wembley.