England may have qualified for Euro 2024 but Jude Bellingham concedes it is now about “delivering” on the biggest stage.
The Real Madrid midfielder was again outstanding as the Three Lions made sure of their place in Germany next summer, playing a leading role in two goals in the 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley last night.
England have come close to claiming their first silverware since 1966 under Gareth Southgate, reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, the final of Euro 2020 and the quarters of the World Cup in Qatar last year.
They will be among the favourites to break that duck in eight months’ time but Bellingham knows there are still plenty of hurdles to overcome.
He told beIN Sport: “As well as the young players, there’s a great mix of experience that guides us throughout the game and throughout the camps and there is a belief that we could do something special.
“But it’s all about delivering. It’s all about when the time comes, being there, being present, being ready to take on the challenge and it’s about combining all those things, our past experience and what we have in the dressing room to make sure we’re going to be successful.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Brilliant tonight, <a href=”https://twitter.com/BellinghamJude?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@BellinghamJude</a> 🔥<br><br>Your England Player of the Match connected by <a href=”https://twitter.com/EE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EE</a>! <a href=”https://t.co/EOfi7dDX9Q”>pic.twitter.com/EOfi7dDX9Q</a></p>— England (@England) <a href=”https://twitter.com/England/status/1714404863616885220?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>October 17, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
Despite his impressive record, Southgate continues to divide opinion among England fans with some pointing to a perceived negative approach that has held the team back at crucial moments.
That view is not shared by Bellingham who puts him in the same, lofty bracket as club manager Carlo Ancelotti.
“100 per cent,” he added. “Look at his record as England manager, no-one’s done it as well as him for however many years.
“He takes the time to understand players personally and he knows what kind of things motivate them and gets them going for games and I think that is what makes him so top in my opinion, he makes everyone feel so comfortable to play and it’s a pleasure for me to play under him.”
