Jude Bellingham, keeping England dreaming of World Cup glory

If anyone had the slightest doubt why Jude Bellingham is Gareth Southgate’s preferred choice in the midfield over far more experienced options, it was laid to rest by the 19-year-old with a stellar display against Senegal that secured England’s passage into the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 win on Sunday.

The Borussia Dortmund player was England’s heartbeat in the midfield, displaying an array of skills that left everyone in awe of him—on the field, in the stands and around the world.

When England were struggling to get going in the initial phase, he played the role of a disruptor by making decisive tackles and interceptions. He was at the forefront when the Three Lions got into their groove, setting the tempo, playing a role in both of England’s goals in the first-half.

For the first goal, Bellingham received a pass from Harry Kane and drove through the inner left channel and timed his cut back for Jordan Henderson inside the box to perfection. The Liverpool midfielder steered it into the goal. The seasoned Henderson’s celebration with Bellingham, and then pointing his young teammate to the crowd as they walked triumphantly back said it all. England had been desperate for the goal to calm their nerves.

Bellingham had just started. As the first-half added time was running out, Bellingham wrested possession back on the top of the England penalty box, controlled and drove down the middle, beating two Senegal midfielders before passing to Phil Foden on the left. who crossed first time to Kane. The England striker, anxious for his first goal in this World Cup, had all the time to control and fire home past Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Bellingham’s ability to play box-to-box has allowed Southgate to settle for a 4-3-3 formation in the last two matches and play with just one holding midfielder in Declan Rice. At Euro 2020, where England lost in the final to Italy, Southgate fielded two holding midfielders in Rice and Kalvin Phillips. Phillips though is not fully fit, having just recovered from injury.

In Qatar, Rice has patrolled the area in front of the centre-backs while Bellingham and Henderson have had the leeway to push forward to make it a front five, stretching the opponents. That has made England’s attacks more potent than they were in Euro 2020. There, England scored just four goals till the round of 16. In the World Cup they have already netted 12—the joint most with Spain.

Southgate was delighted after the match that the punt on Bellingham was coming good. “I don’t think we could have predicted how quickly Bellingham could mature. In the last five months that has gone to another level,” he said.

According to Squawka, the teenager completed 30 of the 33 passes he attempted, won nine duels, was involved in five ball recoveries, four successful tackles and two interceptions. No wonder teammates and analysts were showering praises at the end of the match.

Former Manchester United stalwart Roy Keane, a TV pundit with ITV, said: “It is exactly what

you need from a midfielder when the game is a bit tight—running from midfield. Brilliant.”

Foden called him the most gifted player he has seen. “He has no weakness in his game. I think he will be the best midfielder in the world,” he added.

Bellingham is a product of the Birmingham City club’s academy. His early coach, talking about what differentiated him and other talented youngsters, has spoken of his sheer determination to be the best in the business. And since he first played for Birmingham City’s under‑18s, Bellingham was tipped for stardom.

He soon broke into the Birmingham City first team, and after spending a season in the Championship—England’s second division–took a footballing decision to move to Bundesliga so that he would play top-flight football regularly while a lucrative deal with a top-flight Premier League club didn’t guarantee regular starts.

The decision, made in the middle of the Covid pandemic in the summer of 2020, was vindicated. This season, he has been scintillating. He became the only English teenager to score in four consecutive Champions League games as Dortmund reached the round of 16.

Many wonder what would have been as they discuss another 19-year-old—the brilliant Jamal Musiala who chose to represent Germany though he could have played for England. Germany were eliminated at the World Cup, though the Bayern Munich livewire (9 goals, 7 assists in 2022) was superb. He and Bellingham are the world’s top teenagers in the game.

Bellingham is already on the radar of Manchester clubs United and City and Liverpool. His Qatar heroics will intensify the chase by Spanish champions Real Madrid as well.

Latest reports suggest the clubs will have to shell out over £100 million to land his signature.