Jude: I couldn’t sleep after that!
ENGLAND’S new superstar Jude Bellingham has revealed that his World Cup journey is already giving him sleepless nights. The 19-year-old midfielder shone in England’s 6-2 romp over Iran on Monday and is certain to start in Gareth Southgate’s team for the game against USA on Friday. Last night Bellingham said scoring the opening goal against Iran was one of his career highlights and kept him awake for most of the night that followed. ‘I am kind of just coming down from the high now,’ he said. ‘It is difficult to sleep. I was up all night after the game trying to reply to messages and speak to people.
‘I’ve scored quite a few goals this season, in some pretty big games, but that tops anything that I have ever scored. That feeling thinking, “Have I really just done that? This can’t be real”.’ Bellingham has been a standout player for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga for a couple of seasons but is now making his mark with England. He only played cameo roles in his country’s journey to the final of Euro 2020 but has since pushed himself into a starting berth in central midfield. Bellingham won his 18th cap for England against Iran and scored his first international goal, heading home Luke Shaw’s cross.
‘I can’t stop smiling,’ he said.
‘I got into good areas all game attacking-wise, and defensively I thought I did well. It was just all about following the play and the ball. As soon as it went wide, I saw a gap and thought I could get myself in. It was quite a tough header, probably one I’ve never done before. It took about five minutes to go in but as soon as I saw it go in, I was off. The adrenaline was pumping.
‘I always dreamed that I would be here (playing for England) but I never thought it would be this early. I have been given the opportunity to do things that a lot of people haven’t been in full careers which makes me so grateful.’
Southgate is expected to pick the same team for Friday’s game as he stays with the back four he selected against Iran, provided Harry Maguire has recovered from sickness that forced him from the field. England are still expected to revert to a back three if and when they get deeper into the tournament.
Asked about the depth of Southgate’s squad on the Lion’s Den chat show, Bellingham added: ‘It’s crazy, the depth that we’ve got. You look at the starting forwards: Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka and Harry Kane. Then you swap that with Callum Wilson, Marcus Rashford, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, that’s like Ultimate Team.
‘To have quality like that coming off the bench, they could easily start in this team and would start in many other squads. They make my life a lot easier.’