Thomas Tuchel has urged England star Jude Bellingham to “keep on going” after the Real Madrid man played a starring role for his country at the 2026 World Cup once again.
The Three Lions huffed and puffed in the first half against Panama on Saturday but could not find a way through a resilient and combative defensive unit and it was 0-0 at half-time.
But Madrid midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock with a clinical finish from a corner on 62 minutes – and then teed up Harry Kane to make it 2-0 after 67 minutes.
Bellingham also found the net after leading a second-half resurgence in England’s opening Group L match with Croatia, which they won 4-2.
And after topping the group and booking a last-32 clash with DR Congo on Wednesday (kick-off 5pm UK time), the former Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund player is ready to shoulder the responsibility of carrying England’s World Cup hopes.
More clinical against Panama
Bellingham said on Sky Sports: “I felt in the second half [against Panama] we were all a bit sharper and clinical in what we were doing.
“That has an effect on me and for me there is a responsibility to get the team going to another level, another level of intensity more than anything.
“But I think all the lads were ready to go after half-time. We realised we had a couple more gears to go after a so-so start in the first half and in the second half we showed that.”
Positive from day one
Tuchel knows the importance of having a fired-up Bellingham in his starting XI and wants to see more of the same from the 23-year-old as the tournament progresses.
The England head coach said on Sky Sports: “He has been very positive from the first day in camp.
“He is fully into all the things from him as a team player, and he brings his individual quality to decide football games.
“That is what you see in World Cups now and what you see from other teams and other big players.
“He is a key player. And he buys into all the things that we demand of him as a team player.
“Well done until now. He needs to keep on going.”
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Happy to play again
Both Bellingham and Aston Villa playmaker Morgan Rogers started against Panama, with the Villa man failing to make an impact.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice was rested but is likely to return against DR Congo, meaning Rogers will revert to being back-up for Bellingham from the bench.
Former Chelsea boss Tuchel feels Bellingham has fully recovered from shoulder surgery and a hamstring issue, adding: “After his injury, he’s just happy to play again.
“He feels free and he can also put out these kind of intensities in a short period of time now.
“That’s why we also take care of him at the moment after 60, 67 minutes because we saw in the last months that he did not produce these kind of intensities for club and country.
“When he does that, he is a key player. He needs to play with this intensity, he loves to play on this kind of stage.
“We try to support him, help him to be the best version of himself.
“We will also push Morgan to fight for his place.
“We will need everybody because they are versatile, they can play with each other and they are a threat to any opponent, so it’s good that we have him in this kind of spirits.”
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Michael Davey