The basketball legend Michael Jordan even made up a story about an opponent criticising him to motivate himself. Jude Bellingham’s ‘who else?’ shout after rescuing England was a response to his critics and should be celebrated. It shows the fire within. Bellingham is far from a great yet. He still ascends the foothills towards the peaks of his profession....Read The Full Story Here ▶
He has some way to go, of course. He’s only 21, and his game will develop even further, but he will surely be hailed as one of the greats one day.
He has all the physical, technical and mental attributes. He also knows how to fuel his fire.
On scoring England’s equaliser, Bellingham’s ‘who else?’ scream was followed by him raising his right hand towards his ear and a ‘speak too much’ gesture with his fingers.
The 21-year-old was asked after England’s fortuitous 2-1 last 16 win over Slovakia who had angered him. Bellingham mentioned how the fans expected so much, and how he and the other players worked so hard to try and put on performances for them.
Bellingham mentioned how some unnamed people had spoken too much ‘rubbish’ about him, and that he felt “sometimes there is a bit of a pile-on”.
That is why he launched his ‘who else?’ as a riposte to his critics. “Moments like tonight throw it back to some people,” he said.
His critics will simply claim that such an attitude revealed a sensitivity and immaturity that may lead to red cards, to biting on opposition bait.
Southgate understandably spoke of how he and his staff were working with a young player growing up in the public eye, protecting and guiding him. But never change, Jude. Keep that anger. Just keep it focused, make sure it doesn’t spill over, but never lose it.
As his medal collection expands, as the acclaim intensifies, that sense of anger becomes even more important. It will keep Bellingham hungry.
Different characters, different roles, but Sir Alex Ferguson had this quality. He would use press conferences almost to pick imaginary fights with officials, opposition managers, the media. It drove him on. Feud for the fire.
Martin O’Neill kept all the letters to Leicester calling for his dismissal as he struggled during his first months as manager at Filbert Street.
When Leicester’s form turned, O’Neill asked his secretary to find the phone numbers of a handful of the biggest critics and called them in the middle of the night, enquiring whether they still wanted him out. Grievances can be useful.
Bellingham had to draw deep on his reserves of character here.
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Southgate was watching him closely and concerned that his No.10 was fading. With 15 minutes remaining, Southgate and his assistant, Steve Holland, were thinking seriously about taking Bellingham off.
He was below his best, but still delivered. That awareness of where Marc Guehi’s flick could fall, that desire to get in there, and that athleticism and technique to meet the ball and finish.
It felt more than a goal. It felt like Jesse Lingard’s 78th-minute equaliser against Croatia in the Nations League at Wembley in 2018; the game turned, and Croatia were as crushed as Slovakia were, and again Kane finished the opposition off. Luka Modric sank to his knees.
Bellingham’s goal will be celebrated as rescuing England but the stunning nature of the strike gives it the quality of a catalyst. It was a game-changer and now a mood-changer. It was a statement strike, one that can inspire the England squad even more.
It felt like David Platt’s 120th-minute volley against Belgium at Italia 90, Paul Gascoigne’s juggling act and volley against Scotland at Euro 96 or David Beckham’s cathartic, decisive penalty against Argentina in Sapporo at the 2002 World Cup.
Bellingham’s was another historic ‘moment’.
England are not a team under Southgate capable of momentum, like a Spain, but they have the individuals like Bellingham to conjure up these seismic moments.
Without Bellingham this would have been the nightmare of Nice 2016 revisited, and not only because of the thunder-claps.
Underperforming, the manager on the brink, the fans turning. Bellingham changed all that.
So what happens now? England have a warm down at Blankenhain on Monday, then some rest and recuperation, some physio for some, massages for all, maybe some golf and padel.
Then Southgate has to rebuild his defence without the suspended Guehi and hope that Kyle Walker rediscovers his form at right-back.
This was another poor England performance, their fourth on the spin, but they are in the quarter-finals of the European Champions, thanks to a remarkable 21-year-old with an eye for goal and a hunger to keep proving a point.
