Jordan Henderson has expressed his admiration for Jude Bellingham, declaring that the young midfielder is cherished by his teammates and poised to be England’s secret weapon in the upcoming World Cup.
Bellingham, who is competing with Morgan Rogers for the starting No. 10 position against Croatia on Wednesday, has generated considerable discussion at the international level over the past two years. Despite speculation surrounding his relationship with coach Thomas Tuchel at Real Madrid, Henderson, who shares a close bond with Bellingham, reassured that there are no concerns regarding his attitude.
“I can remember five years ago I gave him his first cap, it was away at Middlesbrough. How much he’s grown, as a player and as a person since then, is incredible really. I had a good idea when I first saw him playing and training, and the way he was. “I think everybody forgets how young he is. We do rondos and it’s the youngest in, and there’s people that I think should be going in before him, but he’s always one of the first in the middle to go in. It just reminds us how young he is. I honestly couldn’t speak highly enough of him. “I know a lot gets written in the media and I really find it hard to read sometimes because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field. And what he gives us is just something really special, he really gives us the X-factor in our team. He’s had big moments in his career, he’s a big game player, he’s got experience in tournaments, so he’s a huge, huge player for us in this tournament.”
Henderson emphasized that the external perception of Bellingham as a divisive figure is misguided. He highlighted Bellingham’s positive influence on younger players, noting his care for Alex Scott, Ethan Nwaneri, Rio Ngumoha, and Josh King during England’s pre-tournament training camp.
“If you ask any player in the group, they’ll tell you how much of a good teammate he is, how well he trains,” Henderson stated. “I know he’s young but he’s very mature. He helps young players, new players, that are coming in. How he was in the pre-camp with Rio, Josh King, Alex Scott, Ethan, how he is with those players, nobody sees that, but they all look up to him.
“He gave Rio his first cap after the game, which just gives you a little insight into what he is like behind the scenes. I do think a lot of the media and the stuff that gets written isn’t all true to be honest, or a lot of it is actually untrue. But for us we all know what he can do, and how much we all love him inside the camp, and I suppose that’s the main thing.”
Addressing the competition between Bellingham and Rogers for the starting spot, Henderson remarked, “It doesn’t mater if you’re starting or coming on, everyone has a role,” He added, “I see it as two top players who I wouldn’t want to be playing against – so good on and off the ball, athletic and physical, can score and have it in their locker to produce big moments. They’re very close and will support each other 100%. They’ve both got a big role to play.”
