- Listen to It’s all starting! DAILY EUROS: Should Gareth Southgate rule out Jude Bellingham?
- England secured their place in the round of 16 of Euro 2024 after topping Group C
- However, Bellingham admitted that he did not know who they had faced.
Jude Bellingham has admitted he did not know who England had faced in the round of 16 of Euro 2024.
The Three Lions booked their place in the knockout stage of the tournament after finishing top of Group C, as they recorded one win and two draws in the group stage.
In this way, they faced one of the teams classified among the four best third-placed teams, which in the end was Slovakia.
However, it is clear that Bellingham had not been paying attention to the draw after admitting on Thursday morning that he was not aware of the Slovakia showdown.
Speaking on the Lions’ Den YouTube series, Bellingham was asked what he thought about playing for Slovakia, to which he replied: “I didn’t know until you said!”
Jude Bellingham admitted he didn’t know who England had been drawn against in the round of 16
Gareth Southgate (left) hopes the Real Madrid star can help them against Slovakia
“I think there will always be difficult games at this point in the tournament. People will look at it and see that it’s Slovakia and think it will be an easy game.
“That’s definitely not the case because they will pose a different type of threat and it’s a different thing to break up.” I think sometimes when you play against some of the nations that attack you a little more, it’s a little more open.
“I think it will be an interesting game and one in which we will have confidence.” “I know the performances haven’t been as good as they should have been in the first three games, but I think it’s a great opportunity for us to get back to the level we need.”
Bellingham cut a frustrated figure during England’s most recent match against Slovenia, which saw them draw 0-0 after a terrible performance on the field.
Bellingham’s upset reflected the feelings of many fans in the stadium, who suffered another listless and lifeless display from England, albeit with a point that helped them finish top of the group.
Bellingham’s frustration boiled over during the stalemate, and the midfielder unleashed an expletive-laden tirade toward his teammates.
But despite Bellingham’s exasperation toward his teammates, his own performance fell below his high standards on Tuesday night.
Slovakia secured their place in the round of 16 as one of the best third-place finishers at Euro 2024
Bellingham was visibly frustrated during England’s 0-0 draw against Slovenia on Tuesday.
His duel winning percentage (22%) was the lowest on the team and he also lost possession 16 times, which was the most on the team.
After being one of the standout players in the opening match, scoring a header against Serbia, the former Birmingham City and Borussia Dortmund player has remained surprisingly anonymous.
It wasn’t just the defensive side of his game that was lacking. Bellingham failed to take a single shot or create a single opportunity against one of the tournament’s minnows.
The team’s lackluster performance drew the ire of traveling England fans and even glasses were thrown at manager Gareth Southgate.