Rio Ferdinand and Jermaine Jenas have hinted that Jude Bellingham needs to be at the centre of Gareth Southgate ’s England plans ahead of the World Cup.
The Borussia Dortmund star has sparkled for the German giants this season and was rewarded with yet more Three Lions’ recognition over the international break. He started the slender defeat by Italy last Friday and sparkled against Germany at Wembley on Monday.
The 19-year-old was a star performer throughout the evening and won the penalty that saw captain Harry Kane complete an impressive turnaround for England - only for Kai Havertz to pin back the hosts late on.
Bellingham’s performance did not go unnoticed, with a few former Three Lions saving special praise for him after the full-time whistle.
Ex-Tottenham and Newcastle man Jenas took to Twitter and claimed that the youngster should be one of the first names on the team sheet. He wrote: “Build everything around Jude Bellingham.. he’s got that I’m gonna do what I want type attitude that this team needs! Individual mistakes cost us but this team are 100% playing for their manager.”
In the meantime, former Manchester United defender Ferdinand had a simple message in response to the Dortmund midfielder’s performance.
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Also sharing his thoughts on Twitter, he wrote: “Jude Bellingham btw….”
Bellingham seems an absolute certainty to be one of the names selected for the final 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar. Remarkably, that would represent the second major international tournament of his fledgling career.
His display against Germany was the latest in a long line of stunning performances for the Three Lions. However, Joe Cole suggested that the fact that he was England’s best player in the 1-0 defeat in Milan was "unacceptable".
Talking after the full-time whistle against Italy, he said: “These lads have got the ability, we have seen it week in, week out they are top drawer players. Puff your chest out, push your shoulders back and go and get on the ball in difficult positions.
“Drive through the lines. Jude Bellingham, a 19-year-old, was our best player tonight and that’s unacceptable with the quality we have got because we have got the ability.”
Whilst Southgate has a decision to make over Bellingham ahead of the World Cup, it appears that the midfielder also has a call to make over his own future. His performances have caught the eyes of some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Liverpool and Manchester United. Reports have suggested that he could potentially be available for considerably lower than the previously-quoted £150m price tag that Dortmund would be demanding for his services.
