Jude Bellingham: England got things wrong off the pitch at Euro 2024
By Jonathan Veal, Press Association, Kansas City
Jude Bellingham has revealed things were not right off the pitch in England’s camp at Euro 2024.
Despite reaching the final, where they were beaten by Spain, Gareth Southgate’s side were far from convincing during their run in Germany.
New manager Thomas Tuchel has spoken of creating a “brotherhood” in the squad as he tries to win the World Cup this summer.
And Bellingham, speaking from inside England’s camp in the United States, said that was not the case at the European Championship two years ago.
“At the Euros I think we got a few things wrong off the pitch, I don’t feel the group connected as well as it could have for a number of reasons,” he told the Lion’s Den.
“When it came to the tournament, we were seen as one of two or three teams that could win it.
“We weren’t playing well, which doesn’t help, so even when we were winning, we didn’t get the feeling that we were as happy as we should be.”
England needed Bellingham’s last-minute overhead kick to force extra time against Slovakia in the last 16, penalties to beat Switzerland in the quarter-finals and then a last-minute goal to get past the Netherlands in the semi-finals.
Bellingham’s intervention against Slovakia was one of England’s most memorable moments in tournament football, but he says the shine is taken off it by the manner of the goal.
The Real Madrid midfielder added: “I still remember how I was feeling at the time. It always makes me feel a bit uncomfortable because it was such a bad situation.
“We weren’t playing well. I remember as a kid watching World Cups and Euros where we crashed out against teams we shouldn’t have gone out to and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I’m about to be a part of one of those moments’. It shakes up the whole of English football.”
Bellingham faces a fight for a starting role in England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday as Tuchel appears to have pitted him against Morgan Rogers in a straight shootout for the number 10 position.
The pair have a close relationship, having grown up in the same area in the West Midlands and played junior football together.
Bellingham, who advanced his case for winning the shirt with a masterful display in Wednesday’s final warm-up win against Costa Rica, said there are no problems between the pair.
“As a person, he is a top guy, he can get along with anyone, can have conversations with anyone,” Bellingham added.
“He can be a bit loud. We have debates that turn into arguments a lot. But we get on like brothers, to be fair.
“The manager has made it very clear in a lot of the times where he has spoken that we are playing for the same position.
“I know that has eased up a bit more now that he sees me playing more positions and Morgs playing more positions, but I honestly have no ill feelings when he is playing and I’m not playing.”
