It was noticeable, while Jude Bellingham was throwing his arms in the air in frustration at being substituted, that two other England players in particular made an effort to come over and congratulate/commiserate with him as he left the field: Phil Foden and Harry Kane.
The two players who, just days earlier, Thomas Tuchel had said couldn’t be on the pitch at the same time as the Real Madrid star, because they don’t complement each other.
Bellingham, portrayed by some as a loner, a self-obsessed and bolshy non-team-player, was there in front of millions, getting the solidarity and public support of the England captain and the Manchester City forward.
Bellingham is a world-renowned superstar. He is the poster boy of the national team.
As the England squad made it onto the team bus last night, ahead of their flight out of Tirana International airport, it was Bellingham who was mobbed by Albanian fans, Albanian security guards, Albanian journalists – all of whom wanted selfies with him.
He obliged with every single one, by the way, was polite and accommodating, because this scrutiny is part of his everyday life.
Kane, England’s greatest-ever goalscorer, who now has an extraordinary 28 goals in 23 matches this season and has surpassed Pele’s tally of international goals – even he doesn’t get half the attention that Bellingham does.
So it is in that context we must judge the man (the 22-year-old man) and his behaviour. He is the David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Paul Gascoigne of England eras of the past – the icon and tormentor, hero and villain, the celebrity to be derided or put on a pedestal as the whim of the nation and the media dictates.
What really happened when Bellingham was subbed off
The television pictures didn’t capture the reality of the situation last night when Bellingham was substituted in the 84th minute. So let me paint the true picture for you, as seen from the media tribune.
Bellingham had just sprayed a brilliant 40-yard pass out to Marcus Rashford on the left wing, who delivered an equally sumptuous cross onto the forehead of Kane, who nodded his and England’s second goal, all but guaranteeing victory, and England’s perfect qualifying record of eight wins out of eight.
Jude Bellingham was voted Player of the Match against Albania
Bellingham immediately ran over to high-five Rashford, before turning to celebrate with Kane and the rest of the team.
Immediately after that, he saw his close friend Morgan Rogers stripped and ready on the touchline, and Bellingham discovered his time was up. It was in that moment, he threw his arms in the air.
For me, it was a clear show of frustration rather than dissent. After being acknowledged by some of his team-mates, he trotted off the pitch and shook hands with Tuchel, who grabbed him and smacked him on the backside in a friendly show of appreciation.
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England manager Thomas Tuchel says Jude Bellingham’s ‘has to accept’ the decision for him to be substituted after the midfielder was seen frustrated by the call.
The first Tuchel knew of the arm-waving was when he was asked about it in the post-match news conference, and he said he would review it.
“Behaviour is key,” the coach said, “and respect towards the team-mates who come on. Decisions are made and you have to accept it as a player.” That is absolutely correct, and the least that the head coach demands.
In a week where Tuchel has put more emphasis than any England manager who has gone before him on the importance of substitutes and the imperative of the “squad”, the last thing he needed was England’s highest-profile player to put on a public show of petulance and self-interest.
Had Bellingham been substituted a few minutes later, however, and not immediately as he finished celebrating a goal which he’d had a key part in, maybe the arms would have stayed by his side.
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Sky Sports News’ Rob Dorsett reacts after England beat Albania to maintain their perfect record in World Cup qualifying.
Brand Bellingham, Brand Beckham and Team England
There will be many who say Bellingham has once again proved he is not a team player, that’s it’s all about him, that he doesn’t respect Tuchel or his fellow players enough, that “brand-Bellingham” is more important than Team England.
But there will be just as many people who say they would be more worried if Bellingham was content to be taken off the pitch, and that his determination to succeed and drive standards is a key element if England are to win next summer’s World Cup.
The similarities between Bellingham and Beckham are striking, and how they are portrayed.
David Beckham was sent off against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup…
…but the mood was changed when he scored a free-kick against Greece to help England qualify for the 2002 World Cup
Beckham was the nation’s villain in 1998 when he was sent off for kicking out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone in the last 16 of the World Cup. He had death threats. But a few years later, he was the undoubted hero when he single-handedly dragged England to the finals of World Cup 2002 with a career-defining dominant performance, and that free-kick against Greece.
Bellingham was lauded to the highest when he kept England in Euro 2024 with a mesmeric overhead kick in injury time to level the scores against Slovakia. By contrast, five months ago, his own national team head coach said his mother sometimes finds him “repulsive”. Hero and villain personified.
The Madrid maestro will continue to divide opinion for sure, and it is equally certain he will continue to dominate the headlines and the social media streams between now and next summer’s footballing showpiece.
The fact that there is more focus on Bellingham’s behaviour, rather than England’s incredible achievement in winning eight out of eight in qualifying without conceding a single goal – that is criminal.
But such is the life of a footballing icon.
