Jude Bellingham has disclosed that England faced issues off the pitch during their Euro 2024 journey. Despite reaching the final, where they suffered a defeat to Spain, Sir Gareth Southgate’s squad struggled to find their rhythm throughout the tournament in Germany.
Thomas Tuchel has emphasized the importance of fostering a “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,” within his team as he aims for World Cup success this summer. Speaking from England’s training camp in Kansas City, Bellingham noted that such camaraderie was lacking during the European Championship two years ago.
“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.” he shared with the Lion’s Den. “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.”
During the knockout stages, England relied on Bellingham’s dramatic overhead kick to equalize against Slovakia in the last 16, followed by penalty wins over Switzerland in the quarter-finals and a last-minute goal to advance past the Netherlands in the semi-finals.
While Bellingham’s goal against Slovakia stands out as a highlight in England’s tournament history, he admits that the context of the moment dampens its significance. He reflected, “He is a top guy, he can get along with anyone, can have conversations with anyone,”
“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.”
Looking ahead, Bellingham is vying for a starting position in England’s World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, facing competition from Morgan Rogers for the No 10 role. The two share a close bond, having grown up in the same area of the West Midlands and played junior football together.
Bellingham boosted his chances of securing the starting spot with an impressive performance in the final warm-up match against Costa Rica. He assured that there are no tensions between him and Rogers.
“He is a top guy, he can get along with anyone, can have conversations with anyone,” Bellingham stated. “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.”
