Play, Jude... the teen Lion who’s raring to roar
Ten Hag’s happy after frantic second half
HE is the youngest member of Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the Qatar World Cup.
But at 19 Jude Bellingham is already seen as key to the nation’s hopes of lifting the trophy for the first time in 56 years.
The teenage midfielder, who set a world record for a 17-yearold when he moved from boyhood club Birmingham City to Borussia Dortmund for £22.5million in 2020, is coveted by several top Premier League sides.
But he owes his love of football to a star of the lower reaches of the game – his father.
Mark Bellingham, now 46, scored more than 700 goals in around 900 appearances, making him a sort of non-league Cristiano Ronaldo.
Bellingham senior juggled stints at clubs including Leamington, Stourbridge and Sutton Coldfield Town with his day job as a sergeant with West Midlands Police.
In his pomp, he earned only around £200 a week from football. His son takes home around £2.5million a year in Germany and would more than triple that with a move to an English club or to Spain – Real Madrid are said to be interested in signing him next summer.
Jude broke into the England side ahead of last year’s Covid-delayed Euro 2020 championships, making history as the tournament’s youngest- ever player, and is now a regular first choice. His brother Jobe, 17, is also a professional on Birmingham City’s books.
Their father hung up his boots at the age of 41 in 2017 and is believed to have retired from the police. He declines to discuss his son’s achievements.
Jude told The Guardian in 2020 how his mother Denise took him to watch his father play: ‘It’s where I started to get that love for football. I think you can see in the way I play that I’ve watched the game from a young age. That nonleague style of toughness and being gritty when you need to be... I do think that comes from watching my dad play – even though he never tackled!’
Leamington FC chairman Jim Scott described Jude’s father as a ‘goal machine’, adding: ‘He was in great demand, a good player who was extremely dedicated, particularly when you consider his demanding career. [He] could have played at a higher level. You can see where Jude gets his talent from.’
ON THE off- chance gareth Southgate harbours any doubts about his decision to recall Marcus rashford for the World Cup, here was a display to show just why he deserves a seat on England’s flight to Qatar — and possibly a place in the starting line-up, too.
This was only the Carabao Cup and hopefully far greater adventures lie in store for rashford over the next few weeks.
But this was the revitalised rashford who has come back firing after the worst season of his career. The rashford who is united’s top scorer with eight goals and has revived his international career at the best possible time.
The 25-year- old has played his way in on form alone. At old Trafford last night, he led the fightback after united twice trailed Aston Villa before late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay — both set up by the excellent sub Alejandro garnacho — secured a place in the fourth round.
‘It was just this morning,’ said rashford on finding out about his
World Cup call-up. ‘ If you are performing for united then England is always going to be around the corner. I’m obviously really pleased to be back with the squad. It will be a massive month for us. I’m looking forward to that.’
While rashford is flying, it is a measure of Harry Maguire’s problems that he has to rely on the Carabao Cup for playing time before the World Cup after being handed a fifth start of the season.
It was one of seven changes made by Erik ten Hag from united’s 3-1 premier League defeat at Villa park on Sunday as his players provided the response he demanded.
New Villa boss unai Emery made seven changes of his own and it resulted in a slow-burner of a tie that only exploded into life after half-time with six goals.
Villa struck first in the 48th minute when Anthony Martial and Fred appealed in vain for handball against Boubacar Kamara midway inside their opponents’ half.
Kamara prodded the ball forward for Jacob ramsey and he played in ollie Watkins, who raced away with Diogo Dalot in pursuit and clipped the ball past debutant goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
If united had been caught napping then Villa were equally as guilty as they conceded an equaliser almost straightaway.
Dalot swung a long ball down the right flank and Fernandes was away. united’s No 8 looked up and nudged the ball across for Martial to score in an empty net.
Villa regained the lead in the 61st minute when former united captain Ashley Young advanced into space and clipped a cross to the back post. Substitute Leon Bailey headed it back across goal where there was little danger, but Dalot stuck out his right boot to score in his own net.
United levelled again shortly afterwards and again it came from a long ball. Tyrell Malacia picked out rashford, who flicked on for substitute Christian Eriksen. Eriksen caused enough confusion in the Villa defence for rashford to follow up, slip around Tyrone Mings and Calum Chambers and fire past robin olsen.
Garnacho’s arrival off the bench just after the hour mark helped to turn the game in united’s favour.
The Argentine teenager has seized his chance in recent weeks and did so again here.
He capitalised on an awful pass by olsen to Kamara on the edge of his own box 12 minutes from time. A bad idea even if the pass had been accurate, which it wasn’t.
Garnacho stole the ball and fed Fernandes, whose effort off the outside of his right foot wasn’t the best, but it deflected in off Mings as he dived in to make a block.
McTominay had already hit the bar when he got on the end of an excellent cross from garnacho to score the fourth in stoppage time.
So united have a fourth-round tie at home to Burnley when domestic football resumes after the World Cup next month, adding another game to a bulging fixture list after Ten Hag’s team landed themselves with an additional two- legged Europa League
play-off against Barcelona. At least the United boss appeared significantly happier than he was at Villa Park last weekend.
‘I was really mad with the performance from us on Sunday because we didn’t fight,’ he said. ‘So I think we are in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go.’
For Emery, this was a reality check after the euphoria of his first game.
‘I learned a lot but I’m not 100 per cent happy with the performance on Sunday and tonight,’ he said. ‘There are more good things than bad, but the worst moment in both matches was the last 15 minutes.’
MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): Dubravka 5.5; Dalot 5, Maguire 6, Lindelof 6.5 (Martinez 87min), Malacia 7; Fred 5
(Eriksen 62, 6.5), McTominay 7; Rashford 7 (Casemiro 82), Van de Beek 6 (Elanga 62, 6), FERNANDES 7.5; Martial 6.5 (Garnacho 62, 7). Scorers: Martial 49, Rashford 67,
Fernandes 78, McTominay 90+1.
Booked: McTominay, Maguire, Fernandes. Manager: Erik ten Hag 7.
ASTON VILLA (4-3-1-2): Olsen 5; Young 6.5 (Cash 74, 6), Konsa 6 (Mings 59, 5.5), Chambers 6, Augustinsson 6 (Digne 80); Luiz 6.5, Kamara 6, Ramsey 7 (Bailey 59, 6.5); McGinn 6; Watkins 7, Ings 5 (Buendia 59, 6).
Scorers: Watkins 48, Dalot 61 (og).
Booked: Luiz, Young, Bailey.
Manager: Unai Emery 6.5.
Referee: David Coote 6.
Attendance: 72,512.