Bukayo Saka, who scored a hat-trick in England's bronze medal match victory over France, has stated that he wanted to contribute more during the team's World Cup campaign. England secured third place by defeating France 6-4 on Saturday night.
Despite his impactful performance in the final match, Saka, an Arsenal player, started only three of the team's eight World Cup games. Manager Thomas Tuchel had cited fitness management as the reason for Saka's limited playing time.
However, Saka himself indicated a desire for more involvement. "Of course, I would love to have played more," Saka told the BBC. "But of course, it's not the time to talk about that now. I try to do my talking on the pitch. It's done now. Move on."
When asked about his readiness for Arsenal's pre-season, Saka confirmed, "Yeah. I'm fit. I'm fit."
Fans expressed surprise that Saka, who had a significant role in Arsenal's Premier League win this season with 20 goal contributions, did not feature more prominently in key matches. Questions arose when he started against Argentina, leading to speculation about his fitness.
It has since emerged that the decision was based on team selection rather than physical condition. Morgan Rogers was chosen to play against Argentina, a player who set up a goal in that match and is reportedly nearing a transfer to Chelsea for a substantial fee.
Tuchel commented on his decision regarding Saka, stating, "He did everything right. I had just a feeling in the semi-final for Morgan Rogers that he would be involved in something special. That was it. The game was so in demand that we were forced into changes because of cramps and flow of the game. Bukayo showed he was a key player, that was never a doubt. I was not even aware he had a hat-trick (against France). I lost the overview of the goalscorers."