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The National (Scotland)
The National (Scotland)
Sport
Ewan Paton

England icon Jude Bellingham's deep affection for Rangers

Jude Bellingham - the poster boy of English football. 

The man - who has just turned 21 years old - is on the lips of every football fan after last night's sensational goal to save Gareth Southgate's job.

With bated breath, everybody waited to see what special moment England's new 'golden generation' would come up with as they stared at the terribly bleak prospect of an early departure from Euro 2024.

Up stepped the Real Madrid galatico Bellingham. 

'Who else?' as the attacking midfielder shouted towards Slovakia's fans as he boldly celebrated his overhead kick.

It was at that exact moment - four minutes deep into the six added on at the end of the last-16 tie in Gelsenkirchen - that Southgate saw his position saved for now.

England were poor and probably should have seen their exit from the tournament in Germany sealed.

Bellingham's gallus hit sparked the comeback, with Harry Kane's winner roughly 100 seconds apart at the beginning of extra-time.

Ally McCoist has backed Bellingham to emulate Gazza and Zinedine Zidane with his obvious talents.

“Jude Bellingham has similarities to Paul Gascoigne and Zinedine Zidane," he told talkSPORT BET. "I don’t quite think he’s at the level of either of those players yet, but he is certainly capable of getting there. I don’t have any doubt that he will reach those levels. “He’s a young man that is effectively still learning his trade and I can see likenesses to a few players in his game. Zidane and Gascoigne are two and that makes him a joy to watch. “He’s a got a bit of a streak in him which those two also had where he’s saying to other players ‘don’t mess with me’. I might be getting slightly carried away because he is far from the finished article and I think he will keep getting better.”

As well as being talked up in a similar vein to former Rangers star Gascoigne, Bellingham is fond of the Ibrox club.

He played at the stadium in Glasgow back in his Borussia Dortmund days in 2022.

'What a gaff,' he proclaimed in sheer awe as he walked out on the pitch as the Bundesliga side trained ahead of the game.

At the time, Bellingham also said: “We’re going to go there and give everything. We know how hard it will be but personally, I can’t wait to play at Ibrox.

“It’s one of the best stadiums in Europe when it’s packed on a European night but bring it on!”

McCoist's admiration for Bellingham is very much mutual.

During the 2022 World Cup, Bellingham spoke of his appreciation for the famous Scot.

He said: "What a legend - he's so funny! I love him. Honestly. Every time he is on the radio, I always listen.

“We don’t really get it in Germany so we just get the clips on YouTube and Twitter and stuff and I just find him so funny.

“When he does commentary on the games, it’s way more enjoyable the games somehow. I like him a lot. He’s so funny. I love him.”

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