Is Jude Bellingham the key to ending England’s 56 years of hurt?
Last night England beat Senegal 3-0 in a dominant performance, sending the Three Lions through to play France in the quarter-finals in this crazy World Cup. The goals were scored by Henderson, Saka, and captain Kane. But, one player shone, showing his quality and potential: Jude Bellingham.
In the game, he was by far the best player on the pitch. Assisting Henderson is what the headlines will mention. However, he touched the ball 56 times and got a 91% pass accuracy completing 30 passes. He won 4/4 tackles and 7 ground duels. An exceptional performance on the big stage for someone so young.
In this World Cup, Bellingham has one goal and one assist. He has proved crucial in attack, out of 213 accurate passes attempted 198 have come off, making it a 93% success rate. He is also crucial in defence; he has a 100% tackle success rate winning 11 out of the 11 attempted.
At only 19 he is the first player since Lionel Messi in 2006 to assist and score at a World Cup before the age of 20.
Captain Harry Kane said: “Jude is a fantastic player, he does everything well. I like him a lot – he’s a good person, mature for his age, and has great leadership skills.”
England manager Gareth Southgate added: “I don’t think we could have predicted how quickly Bellingham could mature. In the past five months that has gone to another level.
Young England winger Phil Foden said, “I don’t want to big him up too much because he is still young, but he’s one of the most gifted players I have ever seen. He has no weakness in his game. I think he will be the best midfielder in the world.”
Goodness me, @BellinghamJude is unbelievably good. He’s the leader in this team. His parents must be so proud. Love him.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) December 4, 2022
At this point Bellingham is the first name on Southgate’s team sheet, he is the glue of the team with his box-to-box playstyle. But, can he be the man to take England to World Cup victory for the second time?
With Bellingham in the center producing world-class performances behind Kane, Foden, and Saka, also in front of Maguire and Stones, England has a strong side. Whether it is enough to go all the way will be proven on Saturday night when England faces reigning champions France.
Bellingham’s excellent performances haven’t come as a surprise to many. This season in 26 games from central midfield he has 10 goals and 4 assists. In the Champions League for Borussia Dortmund, he’s scored 4 goals and got an assist in 5 matches. He had already cemented himself as the best box-to-box midfielder in the Bundesliga, and this World Cup was expected to be where he proved his talents to the world, which he has. His value continues to rise and he is becoming one of the best midfielders in the world.
At the start of the World Cup, he was expected to be in contention for a place, having not fully proved himself in an England shirt. In the summer of 2021, he was called up to England’s Euros squad, but he only made 3 appearances off the bench. He is now proving to be exactly what England needed in the past and needs right now. He has undoubtedly been England’s best player so far at the 2022 World Cup and we will see whether he will be the key to future England success.
