Inside Bellingham upset in England squad as ‘saviour’ picture ‘at odds with staff’
Jude Bellingham is reportedly ‘at odds’ with the England team’s ‘ethos’ after Euro 2024.
Bellingham, 21, was one of the shining stars of England’s new ‘Golden Generation’ heading into the tournament. And he backed that up after producing some blockbuster moments on the pitch in Germany.
Ahead of the festival of football, Bellingham was promoted to be part of the team’s ‘leadership group’ alongside the likes of Harry Kane, Kyle Walker and Declan Rice. And while his performances on the pitch were impressive, he might have rubbed stars the wrong way off the field.
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According to The Athletic he did not take his leadership responsibilities any further than attending a press conference after the Slovakia tie – other less senior figures such as Adam Wharton, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon were put to the press to answer challenging questions.
Bellingham was unhappy with a ‘pile-on’ from the media during the tournament and the report adds he is ‘acutely aware’ of much of the coverage surrounding him.
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(Image: Getty Images)
The Athletic add Adidas’ “Hey Jude” advert, that portrayed him as the saviour of the squad, was reportedly seen as tone deaf by those in the England camp as it went against the collective ethos of Southgate’s squad.
Bellingham is said to share a close friendship with Trent Alexander Arnold, the pair are regularly pictured together, but the report adds away from the full-back he doesn’t have any strong connections.
His performances were hot and cold in Germany – he netted an opening game-winner against Serbia and a stunning last-gasp winner against Slovakia to keep England’s hopes alive.
(Image: ANP via Getty Images)
However, he was slammed for being bypassed in games or trying to do too much.
Former England player, Wayne Rooney, called on Bellingham to step up and take responsibility: “[Bellingham] is in a position where he should be taking responsibility.
“It may be time to grow up, make decisions and say, ‘I need to help out and speak during the difficult times’,” Rooney said, “because if England win these Euros, I’m sure you’ll see him doing interviews.”
Bellingham has experienced a different journey to many of his teammates having never played Premier League football and meeting most of them solely when playing the national team – he played for Birmingham City in the EFL Championship before moving to Borussia Dortmund then Real Madrid.
