Jordan Henderson assured that Jude Bellingham is loved by his England teammates in response to the criticism leveled at the young player. Bellingham enters the World Cup with reports suggesting that he may not be the number one player in Thomas Tuchel's attack. Indeed, Bellingham was not always included by Tuchel in the qualifying matches, although he struggled with injuries and Morgan Rogers played as the number ten. However, Bellingham looks certain to have a place in the England squad for their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, playing behind Harry Kane. Henderson is confused by the criticism that has heaped on the 22-year-old. "I remember giving him his first chance six years ago and how much he has developed as a player and as a person is truly amazing," Henderson said. "I had a good feeling when I first saw him play and train and the way he played. What he has achieved so far at such a young age, I think everyone forgets how young he is, even me sometimes. I really can't rate him highly enough. I know the media writes about him differently, sometimes it's hard to read because I just know how much of an impact he has on this team, what a teammate he is off the pitch. What he gives us on the pitch is something really special. He gives us such an X-factor. He can play in big games, he has experience in tournaments. He is a huge, huge player for us in
this tournament. If you ask any player on this team, they will tell you what a good teammate he is and how well he trains. I know he is young, but he also helps the younger players, the new players who come into the squad. The way he behaved in the pre-tournament camp with Rio [Ngumoha], Josh King, Alex Scott, Ethan [Nwaneri] - how he behaves towards these players, no one sees it. Everyone looks up to him, everyone admires him and he gave his first chance to Rio [Ngumoha], which gives you a little insight into what he's like behind the scenes. I think that much of what is written in the media is not true or even untrue. For us, he's someone we all love in the team and I think that's the most important thing," Henderson emphasized. Since making his England debut in November 2020, Bellingham has played 48 caps for the national team. In that time, only John Stones (50), Jordan Pickford (56), Declan Rice (62) and Harry Kane (65) have played more caps.
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Henderson defends 'special' Bellingham: We all love him
Jordan Henderson defends Jude Bellingham against media criticism, highlighting his importance to the England squad ahead of the World Cup.
15 czerwca 2026Biało-Czerwoni
Jordan Henderson assured that Jude Bellingham is loved by his England teammates in response to the criticism leveled at the young player. Bellingham enters the World Cup with reports suggesting that he may not be the number one player in Thomas Tuchel's attack. Indeed, Bellingham was not always included by Tuchel in the qualifying matches, although he struggled with injuries and Morgan Rogers played as the number ten. However, Bellingham looks certain to have a place in the England squad for their World Cup opener against Croatia on Wednesday, playing behind Harry Kane. Henderson is confused by the criticism that has heaped on the 22-year-old. "I remember giving him his first chance six years ago and how much he has developed as a player and as a person is truly amazing," Henderson said. "I had a good feeling when I first saw him play and train and the way he played. What he has achieved so far at such a young age, I think everyone forgets how young he is, even me sometimes. I really can't rate him highly enough. I know the media writes about him differently, sometimes it's hard to read because I just know how much of an impact he has on this team, what a teammate he is off the pitch. What he gives us on the pitch is something really special. He gives us such an X-factor. He can play in big games, he has experience in tournaments. He is a huge, huge player for us in
this tournament. If you ask any player on this team, they will tell you what a good teammate he is and how well he trains. I know he is young, but he also helps the younger players, the new players who come into the squad. The way he behaved in the pre-tournament camp with Rio [Ngumoha], Josh King, Alex Scott, Ethan [Nwaneri] - how he behaves towards these players, no one sees it. Everyone looks up to him, everyone admires him and he gave his first chance to Rio [Ngumoha], which gives you a little insight into what he's like behind the scenes. I think that much of what is written in the media is not true or even untrue. For us, he's someone we all love in the team and I think that's the most important thing," Henderson emphasized. Since making his England debut in November 2020, Bellingham has played 48 caps for the national team. In that time, only John Stones (50), Jordan Pickford (56), Declan Rice (62) and Harry Kane (65) have played more caps.
---
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