17 June 2024 , 08:41
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Jude Bellingham showed why he's already a leader in England's dressing room by hitting back at criticism aimed towards 'brilliant' team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Bellingham, who doesn't celebrate his 21st birthday until next week, was recently named in Gareth Southgate's new four-man leadership group for Euro 2024. The Real Madrid midfielder then inspired England to victory with a 13th-minute header which was enough for the Three Lions to beat Serbia 1-0 in their opening game.
Alexander-Arnold played just behind Bellingham in midfield, a role which has divided opinion. The Liverpool star is a right-back at club level but questions have been raised over his defensive acumen, with England legend Wayne Rooney firmly not convinced that he can play in midfield next to Declan Rice.
"Defensively, he's all over the place. He can't defend," Rooney declared on the Overlap. "I wouldn't have him anywhere near the middle of the pitch. I'd have no problem with playing him here [at right-back]. I think in here [midfield], I wouldn't have him anywhere near there."
Leaping to Alexander-Arnold's defence, Bellingham told ITV following England's hard-fought win: "He makes it so easy for me because he can control the game so well defensively in that position.
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"I know people talk a lot of rubbish but he's so aggressive with that back to goal pressure and it really helped me as well because it meant I got a breather when he went out. I think we understand each other well with the ball, he wants to play positive all the time, he wants to play forward all the time."
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Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold are good friends (Eddie Keogh - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)The 20-year-old goalscorer went on to say: "We accept as team-mates who have that kind of quality that we are going to lose the ball and that's fine. We will win it back for each other and we will keep playing. I thought he was brilliant."
Boss Southgate insisted that his use of Alexander-Arnold in midfield was a success, despite bringing Chelsea ace Conor Gallagher on in the second half when Serbia began to control of the game. Asked to describe Alexander-Arnold's performance, Southgate replied: "Good. I have to say he's been really diligent in getting his positioning right.
"Obviously Jude goes forward a lot, so I thought Trent adapted and adjusted to his positioning really well. Used the ball well, obviously had a really good effort on goal. In the end we wanted some fresh legs in there, Conor can get to the ball quickly. We've got a squad and we need to use it."
England head to Frankfurt on Thursday to face Denmark, who drew 1-1 with Slovenia earlier on Sunday. Southgate could opt to freshen up his starting XI, with left-back Luke Shaw in contention for a return following his injury layoff.