Jude Bellingham’s World Cup performance showed why he is England’s next star | OneFootball

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·23 November 2022

Jude Bellingham’s World Cup performance showed why he is England’s next star

Article image:Jude Bellingham’s World Cup performance showed why he is England’s next star

The transfer to Borussia Dortmund is becoming a common one for England teenagers. Jadon Sancho was the first to make the move. He has since been followed by Jude Bellingham and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens. The former looks to be one of the breakout stars of the 2022 World Cup.

It is difficult to be a member of the England squad and have a relatively low profile in the country. Bellingham has never played in the Premier League, so there will be large sections of the fan base in this country that haven’t seen a great deal of him. This is despite the midfielder being a part of the national squad for more than two years.


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On Monday, Bellingham was one of the star performers alongside Bukayo Saka. He scored the opening goal and his drive from midfield was crucial in England dominating the game. There were concerns about the relationship between him and Declan Rice, but the early signs are promising.

Bellingham is all-action and he looks to have been encouraged to get from box-to-box by Gareth Southgate. Some criticise the England manager for putting shackles on his more talented players. That wasn’t the case with the teenage midfielder.

The first England goal came as a result of Bellingham driving into the box to join the attack and provide an option for the crosser. There were a few more occasions where he made similar movements underlining his desire to offer an attacking threat. That is a part of his game that has developed in the last year, as shown by his seven goals for Dortmund across the Bundesliga and Champions League.

In the league, he is averaging 2.1 shots per game. As England want to add more goals to their midfield, Bellingham is the perfect player to do this, decreasing the need to rely on Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.

Bellingham only had one shot against Iran, but he made it count. It was his overall game that was most impressive. He completed 92 of his 96 attempted passes, at an accuracy of 96%. Only John Stones completed more passes during the game.

Southgate wants the team to be dominant with the ball and not make any silly errors in possession. Despite his age, Bellingham looks to be intelligent with his passing and he doesn’t take any risks.

Further to his passing accuracy, Bellingham is key in transition as he can pick up the ball and carry it forward with purpose. He completed two dribbles against Iran. It is likely this part of his game will become even more important as the strength of the opposition sides increase.

Without the ball, Bellingham is tenacious and looks to win the ball back. He completed all three of his attempted tackles against Iran.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been linked with a move for him in the next 12 months. It seems inevitable that he will return to England in the near future. However, he will want to make sure he makes the correct move for his career. Sancho has struggled since joining Manchester United. Bellingham won’t want to make a similar mistake.

The 19-year-old couldn’t have asked for a more perfect start to the tournament. There was already going to be a race for his signature in 2023. It looks like it could heat up even more in the next few weeks.

Stats taken from Whoscored

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