The best English footballer? The best midfielder in the world? Even the best soccer player in the world right now?
Jude Bellingham has collected the praise of the entire soccer-playing world for about a year now.
Described as a midfielder capable of almost everything, the Englishman has excelled after moving to the giant Spanish club Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. The more than one hundred million euros paid for him seem to have gone to the right address from Los Blancos.
Breaking track records, especially in attack, dominating the field regardless of the importance of the games, and driving the fans wild.
The youngster, nicknamed Brummy Zidane according to his hometown Birmingham and a French legend, has been able to consistently star in highlight videos. The Belligol phenomenon, which has gone viral on social media, has constantly added new fuel to its flames.
The last time he was able to lift the big-eared championship trophy of the Champions League was at the end of May, after assisting one of the Madrid goals in the final.
And now on his shoulders weighs the heavy hopes of a nation to win the prestigious games. England are hungry for European Championship gold, and Bellingham is the team’s biggest star.
And it’s not like he’s only 20 years old.
The mind of a winner
– His mental quality is something incredible. It’s unfathomable to see a player of that age as intelligent and mature as he is. We are lucky to have him. He is the catalyst of our game. The way he carries himself and the way he plays shows it all. It has been evident since he walked through the door of our dressing room.
England’s head coach Gareth Southgate statement made last year is a true hymn. Game-wise, that’s true when you look at Bellingham’s role in an England shirt.
In chemical reactions, a catalyst is a substance that speeds up the reaction at a certain temperature. On the field, Bellingham is the player who can speed up or slow down the game when needed. This can be seen especially in the attacking end.
– Some time ago, in England’s player development, the goal was to create a new DNA visible on the field for English players. He is the diamond of its development. He has all those ideals, he is the end product of that grassroots development, Urheilu’s football expert Miika Nuutinen tells.
– It’s also amazing that he has been a screaming talent from the beginning, but was still able to improve. His body grew and his physique changed quickly, but in the end it only supported his skills.
How and where?
In the case of England, the pressure is, once again, great on the home island.
The champion favorite progressed to the final match at the last European Championships on their home field, falling to Italy in a penalty shootout. The last two World Cups have also been long for the Three Lions, but the final breaking of the curse, i.e. the championship of the prestigious championships, has not been seen in the men.
Southgate has announced that he will leave the position of head coach if this time the team does not come home with gold medals.
It’s a relief for England that they have Bellingham as their game-like and at the same time mental backbone.
His value is shown, for example, by the fact that Bellingham’s game number 22, which he used earlier in his career before Madrid, consisted of his playing positions on the field according to the English definition.
The Englishman can play in the so-called number six, eight and ten roles on the field. So the Birmingham native can play at the base of the midfield in a more attacking or defensive role, as well as as a second striker.
– In England, it is precisely that former number of his that is talked about a lot when looking at his role. He has played in so many places in his career, such as in Dortmund as an almost pure box-to-box midfielder, says Nuutinen.
– Now Carlo Ancelotti In Madrid, they have seen him as a liar and the finisher of attacks. However, I think he’s in his mid-twenties at best. The effects tell about it, Nuutinen analysed.
Captain without a ribbon
Bellingham’s current greatness is also illustrated by the fact that the games are already his third prestigious men’s competitions. The summer 2021 European Championships and the winter 2022 World Championships were still only the first bite, now the situation is different.
Even before the Games, he has sealed his position in the eyes of the English supporters as one of the team’s captains, even if he does not wear the ribbon on his left arm for a single minute during the Games.
When England were held to a last-minute 2-2 draw in a warm-up match against Belgium before the Games, Bellingham stepped in front of Channel 4’s camera with the match televised.
– I’m very happy about the equalizer, because I already knew in advance what a pile of slag we would have had on our necks if we had lost two games in a row before the Games, he began.
For the rest of the time, Bellingham went through how the young group started the match from a difficult starting point and also bore the responsibility for their own haphazard scoring position.
The interview published in X also garnered praise from English fans, and especially Bellingham’s maturity made the fans even wish for the title of actual captain for him.
– It’s been crazy to see his ability to carry responsibility actually since he was 16 years old. He constantly shows exceptional character. He constantly behaves like a captain, Nuutinen characterizes.
– It is also worth considering his actions in penalty shootouts. That is also an indication of England’s way of working: today’s players have already been brought up and trained for it in the junior national teams.
The best midfielder in the world by one value
For the English public, the current number 10 of their national team is already the greatest player of the Games and the best of his team.
Although the world loves goalscorers, and the English also love their second hero Harry KaneBellingham has become the biggest favorite despite his young age.
Is Jude Bellingham already the best midfielder in the world with his current abilities and skills?
– In the end, it’s hard to say because I don’t like comparison. Still, he is the best midfielder in the world when viewed as a whole, Miika Nuutinen starts.
– There are many experts in special matters, but his versatility makes the difference. For example, playing defense puts him in a different category than others. He works incredibly hard for his team, follows opponents deep into the defensive zone, presses and plays with high intensity. He seems humble and hardworking.
Those qualities are also an advantage for England. The superstars of the team do not rise above the rest.
– They rarely show the mischief of bad team players. It makes managing a team easier.
In the end, the biggest question will be where head coach Southgate wants to play with his young star. One of Bellingham’s golden qualities is his ability to play almost anywhere in the middle of the field and in attack.
– The most important thing in his skills is building attacks. He creates play, looks for the ball between the lines and is of course also capable of finishing, which is a huge plus, Nuutinen reminds.
– Kane and Bellingham’s joint play is incredibly important for England. They are both capable of similar performances to the other. How will they find each other in the end? Because it hasn’t materialized yet. If England can get that tandem right, it will be really hard to stop them.
Below you can listen to how Miika Nuutinen, Toni Koskela and Matti Härkönen reflect on Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane’s joint play in the 11 friends podcast before the competition.