sport news MIKE KEEGAN: Jude Bellingham has been an England standout and is blameless in a ... trends now
Consolation was on Sir Paul McCartney’s mind when he penned Hey Jude in 1968. He will not have been aware that, more than 50 years later, those words would have acted as a blow-softener for executives of a football club in Germany.
The Beatles’ classic, which he wrote to soothe Cynthia, wife of John Lennon, following their split has become something of an anthem among England supporters at this World Cup on the back of the breakthrough performances of the brilliant Jude Bellingham.
And, while it will offer any assistance to those fans this morning, they could be forgiven belting out a rendition in the corridors of power at the Westfalenstadion, the home of Borussia Dortmund.
Jude Bellingham (left) featured during England's 2-1 quarter-final defeat to France on Friday
The 19-year-old was left in tears on the pitch after England were knocked out of the World Cup
Officials at the Bundesliga giants were already resigned to losing the super-talented son of Stourbridge before a ball was kicked in Qatar - but what they wanted was an auction.
And that is what they appear to have got. Bellingham has been an England standout and was a driving force here, blameless in a losing cause.
He leaves with his reputation enhanced with another all-action performance. The only difference was that it ends with defeat but for Bellingham, who has achieved so much already, the journey is only just beginning.
Unlike his former Dortmund team-mate, currently on a break from lighting up the Premier League, there is no release clause.
Bellingham (left) has a bright future and could be signed from Dortmund for more than €150m
Pep Guardiola has already gone branding the young midfielder as ‘the whole package’
Dortmund went into the tournament hoping for 150m euros. That is now almost guaranteed. There is a relationship between Dortmund
