THEY don’t dance a lot of Samba in Stourbridge.
But when England face Brazil at Wembley on Saturday night, it is the Black Country lad in the Three Lions No 10 shirt who is likely to set the rhythm.
The main man in this A-list international fixture will not be Pele, Zico, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo nor the injured Neymar, but Jude Bellingham.
It will be the Real Madrid maestro’s first appearance on British soil for five months.
In October, he ran the show in the 3-1 comeback victory over champions Italy which sealed England’s qualification for this summer’s Euros.
Bellingham, still just 20 but now the darling of the Bernabeu, holds a mystique extremely rare to English footballers.
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He has never played in the Premier League, he rarely speaks in public, and while many in his homeland can tune in to watch Spanish football, the idea of watching him at Wembley feels like a treat.
Bellingham emerged as a genuine world-class player at the 2022 World Cup but his switch from Borussia Dortmund to Real last summer has catapulted him to a whole new level.
The former Birmingham City kid has netted 20 goals for the 14-time European champions and will tackle club colleagues Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in Saturday’s prestige friendly.
His England team-mate John Stones, who faces Bellingham when Manchester City meet Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals next month, feels his move has brought a significant positive change.
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Stones said: “One hundred per cent, moving to Madrid has changed him, in such a good way. In a brilliant way.
“He’s grown as a person. I feel like he’s matured for such a young guy, and I know we already spoke about how mature he was a few years ago.
“He’s playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world and he’s thriving there.
“He’s had such a great first season in Madrid and I couldn’t be happier for him, seeing how hard he works, and I know he will just want to keep improving.
“Playing with him, we have a great connection on the pitch — me playing balls through the lines, him helping out (defensively).
“To play against him, that is exciting and it’ll be a pleasure. We’ve not spoken about it (the Champions League tie) but I think I speak for both of us when I say it’ll be such a nice challenge to play against each other and see who comes out on top.
“We’ve both got that competitive edge and to play in a huge game for both of our clubs against each other, it’ll be exciting.”
Bellingham embraced the challenge of a move to the Bernabeu with extraordinary success — scoring 13 times in his first 13 matches, including a match-winning double in his first Clasico in Barcelona.
The last six weeks have seen a handbrake applied to Bellingham’s progress.
First came a three-week lay-off with an ankle injury.
Then a two-match suspension after he was sent off for dissent following an extraordinary refereeing decision which saw the final whistle blown as he was about to net the winner in a 2-2 draw at Valencia.
Yet Real are eight points clear at the top of LaLiga and aiming for a domestic and European double.
Bellingham has operated as a No 10, a false nine or in a free role for Real, having emerged in Birmingham and Dortmund in a deeper midfield position.
Gareth Southgate has followed his Spanish adventure with interest.
The England boss said: “The recent period has not been straightforward for Jude.
“He had the injury and then the sending-off so he has not had a perfect rhythm of games.
“We are delighted to have him with us, and with the impact he has had at an amazing football club.
“He is a huge goal threat at the moment and his whole game with Madrid this year has been in that final third of the pitch.
“He is playing very high and they have played without a nine or he has played just behind the nine.
“He has ended up playing quite a free role and he has had enormous success in playing that.
He is 20. We can’t rely on one person. Over the years, we’ve had an emphasis on individuals and then an individual has got injured.
“He is very capable of playing in a number of different positions and it is about finding the right balance with the rest of the team that gets the most out of him and gets the most out of the other players.”
Bellingham has possibly even surpassed captain and record goal-scorer Harry Kane as England’s biggest asset ahead of this summer’s Euros in Germany.
But Southgate, beset by injuries ahead of Saturday’s sell-out clash at Wembley, is determined that England do not become over-reliant on Bellingham.
The manager remembers pre- tournament injuries to David Beckham and Wayne Rooney which sent the Three Lions’ preparations into tailspins.
Southgate said: “We do have to remind ourselves he is 20.
“I am mindful that he is still a young man and our success in the next week and in the next few months is dependent on the team and the collective.
“We can’t be relying on one person. Over the years, we’ve had a huge emphasis on individuals and then an individual has got injured and there is nowhere to go.
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“The belief of teams dissipates, so you have to succeed as a team.
“He can be a hugely important part of that team and we want to give him every licence to do that as well.
“But — I repeat — he’s 20 and that load has to be shared.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
