The Real Madrid star is a marauding matador, an all-rounder whose creative will lifted his teammates in Gelsenkirchen
, who waited and then did something extraordinary, arching his back and roundhouse‑pinging it across the pitch into the centre‑backs, with a sense in that moment of complete mastery of his craft, the day, this entire high‑stakes pursuit everyone else in here seems so anxious about.
It was absurd at times how involved Bellingham was in that first half. This was like watching Rambo play football. It was like Alan Ball in extra time at Wembley. It was Super Hans accidentally running to Windsor. Rarely can one player have been so dominant, but found his team only 1-0 up, and precariously so.What is his role here exactly, you wondered, as for 45 minutes Bellingham was a clogger, a flying centre-forward, an anchor, a ball carrier, a hyper-arrogant swagger‑star.
He came deep on the left. He turned and twisted and did the shrugging walkway when you’ve been fouled that must be so maddening for opponents. He was elbowed in the face, dug in the ribs, kneed in the thigh. He was bravura, matadorial, curling his left foot around the ball, standing with his back arched, teasing.In between he intercepted and dribbled and was fouled and sat up and waved the game on.
Have England ever really had a player such as this, not just a marauding all-rounder but a footballer of such creative will and confidence? They have had brilliant young tournament players. Nothing has quite matched the tone of Wayne Rooney’s casual, screw-you brilliance in 2004. We remember Paul Gascoigne, who also had everything but was barely in control of his own energies, whereas Bellingham seems to have been born already processing his route to greatness.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
England defeats Serbia at Euro 2024 as Jude Bellingham scores the winnerJude Bellingham scores to give England a 1-0 victory over Serbia at Euro 2024, as fan violence before the match resulted in riot police being called in.
Read more »
Jude Bellingham named world’s best footballer in Top Trumps rankingsEngland midfielder heads list in Top 200 series, with Poland’s Ewa Pajor the top female player
Read more »
The making of Jude Bellingham: boy with Ronaldo haircut who became face of Real MadridCoaches and teammates on how Birmingham’s ‘skinny teenager’ developed into one of the world’s best players before his first Champions League final
Read more »
Bellingham is new England talisman but Southgate fears saviour syndromeGareth Southgate knows that relying solely on one gifted player would be repeating an old England mistake
Read more »
Jude Law reveals he turned down playing Superman: ‘It just felt like a step too far’Actor tells podcast he remembers trying on the costume for the axed 2003 film Flyby before deciding, ‘You can’t do this. You can’t’
Read more »
England v Pakistan: fourth men’s T20 cricket internationalEngland face Pakistan in the fourth and final instalment of their rain-hit T20 series as they prepare for the T20 World Cup
Read more »