Thomas Tuchel's call for parents to let their children miss school to watch England take on Mexico in the World Cup has been rejected by an Education minister. The England manager suggested that mums and dads should let their youngsters play truant on Monday following the match at 1am UK time.

Asked for his message to parents after England's win over the Democratic Republic of Congo, he said: “Write an excuse for school and let them watch football. There’s so much school to go to, but the World Cup is every four years. Let them watch, there will be a big match in four days, and we need the support of everyone, especially the children.”

But Labour minister Baroness Jacqui Smith dismissed the suggestion yesterday [THURS], telling LBC: "I don't want to be a killjoy here, but I'll tell you what the biggest killjoy is - young people who then don't have the learning to be able to go on and do what they need to do in life.

"I quite understand if people want to watch the match, including young people, I will be.

"I'll be having a little disco nap in the afternoon and I'll be celebrating our victory the next morning when I go into work, looking obviously as fresh as a daisy."

However, the boss of the National Education Union urged Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson to let schoolchildren start later on Monday.

Daniel Kebede: "It would be very good I think if the Secretary of State recognised that it's an important event in our calendar and allow a flexible start on that Monday morning.

"These are such important events in our, in our, in our calendar, and it would be good as many young people as possible could."

England will face Mexico next in the Round of 16 at the Fifa World Cup after beating the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 on Wednesday.