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When Mark Bellingham received a text from a friend to congratulate him on how well his son Jude had performed in England’s opening World Cup game against Iran, his reply was short and to the point: ‘It’s a long tournament.’
Such is the mindset of the former police sergeant and legendary non-League striker of 700 goals, the same as the one passed down to his superstar son: never get too far ahead of yourself.
Only days later, Jude was substituted before the end of the goalless draw against the United States after an innocuous performance. There were even rumours he might not start against Wales.
Jude Bellingham will start in midfield for England in their round of 16 clash with Senegal
The 19-year-old has come a long since his days in the Birmingham City academy set-up
Gareth Southgate did start him and, like the generational talent so many believe him to be, he dominated the game alongside Declan Rice and Jordan Henderson in England’s midfield.
Gary Lineker compared him to Manchester United legend Bryan Robson and could hardly stifle his amazement at Bellingham’s performance.
Bellingham will start against Senegal on Sunday for a place in the quarter-finals. If you’re superstitious, or someone who enjoys clinging to good omens at times like these, you’ll take great heart in knowing that Mark Bellingham’s police collar number was 1966.
Speak to those who know Jude Bellingham best and they all talk about maturity. Not just in the way he plays, like a man at ease with his place on the world stage, but in the way he talks and the way he conducts himself. Listen to his post-match interviews and it’s easy to forget he’s still a teenager.
But they also talk of a relentless desire to improve, unforgiving standards and a determination to be the best in the world.
Bellingham has dominated games with his performances in the middle of the pitch
‘He will not just want to win the World Cup but also be the best player at the tournament,’ Mike Dodds, Bellingham’s former coach at Birmingham City and close friend, tells The Mail on Sunday. ‘That’s his mentality. He doesn’t want to be the same as everyone else.
‘He went to the Euros as a 17-year-old. Everyone said it would be a great experience for him. He didn’t go to the Euros thinking this is a great experience, he went with the sole ambition to play every minute at the championship.’
Bellingham makes it clear when those standards are not met. He’s a rookie in Qatar but there’s already been moments when he has flung his arms up in frustration at a team-mate not spotting his run.
Reports in Germany say Bellingham’s body language is annoying his team-mates and there’s that viral clip of him screaming ‘You’re f**king s**t’ at Borussia Dortmund left-back Nico Schulz for a misplaced pass.
Even Southgate admits Bellingham’s competitive nature pushes the boundaries.
‘He’s got tremendous maturity for his age in how he works, trains and how he speaks,’ says Southgate. ‘He competes — and that’s the thing we love about him more than anything else. That has a line and, at times, there will be undoubtedly be moments when that’s crossed. But he’s a very exciting player.
Bellingham is demanding when his own high standards are not met by his team-mates
‘He went to the Euros — we think it was good experience — and he wanted to play more. We’re thinking for a 17, 18-year-old it’s a really good transition. His mentality is, “No, I want to start, take corners, captain the team”.’
It’s always been that way. ‘He was someone who always wanted to be stretched,’ says Dodds. ‘If he wasn’t, he’d let you know. Some might have viewed him as difficult, but I didn’t. I saw a talented young man who was striving for more. He has taught me more about my own coaching than anyone else.
‘It wasn’t always easy. I witnessed the struggles, I witnessed the disagreements. There would be times he’d get in the car and tell his mum he never wanted to speak to me again. When I first met Jude, he was in the Under-7s. He was very good, obviously, but he wasn’t this mercurial, generational talent that people label him now. He wasn’t completely in love with the game.’
Bellingham was seven years old when Simon Jones scouted him playing for Stourbridge on a council-run park in Edgbaston with a small plastic goal at either end of a pitch marked out with cones.
Bellingham with his mother Denise (2L), father Mark (2R) and younger brother Jobe (right)
The 19-year-old has shown tremendous maturity both on and off the pitch in recent times
‘The thing I remember vividly was how he picked the ball up off the goalkeeper and dribbled past every single opponent,’ Jones tells The Mail on Sunday. ‘It was ridiculous. He was just leaps and bounds ahead of the other boys. His game
