- Several team veterans have been sidelined or eliminated ahead of Euro 2024
- Southgate first introduced the leadership contingent at the start of his tenure.
- Listen to It’s all starting! Why this could be Spain’s next Golden Generation
Gareth Southgate has revealed that Jude Bellingham has been added to a four-man England leadership group.
The Three Lions boss introduced the leadership contingent on his appointment in 2016. Former vice-captain Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire and Raheem Sterling were part of the group but the trio were left out of the squad for Euro 2024.
Speaking last week, Southgate called on his young team to take on leadership responsibilities in the absence of Henderson, Maguire and Sterling, and Marcus Rashford, who was also left out.
Captain Harry Kane had been reported to have joined vice-captain Kyle Walker, Declan Rice and Kieran Trippier in the unofficial leadership group ahead of England’s Euro 2024 opener on Sunday.
But ahead of the clash in Gelsenkirchen, Southgate revealed that Bellingham had become a member of the renewal committee, in another example of the 20-year-old Real Madrid star’s incredible rise and importance to the team.
Jude Bellingham has been added to a four-man England leadership group by Gareth Southgate
The committee, headed by captain Harry Kane (right), replaces one that included players such as Jordan Henderson, Harry Maguire and Raheem Sterling, who have not been selected.
“We have a very open relationship with all the players,” Southgate said on Saturday. “In fact, we have put together a small leadership group for this tournament with Harry, Kyle Walker, Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.
“There is a different dynamic in this group, there are many younger players. It is always important to know what the players think. They have good views, good experiences.
“I want the opinions of all four guys, but they are also involved with different age groups on the team so they can pick up what’s going on with the different age groups on the team.
‘We have 26, it’s not easy to keep track of how everyone is doing every day. You want to open that dialogue. Sometimes with young players, they’re usually going to be a little more reluctant to approach the coach and talk about what they’re thinking, so you want to get an idea of what’s going on on the field.
Bellingham comes into the tournament after an impressive debut season in the Spanish capital that saw him lift both the La Liga and Champions League titles at Wembley.
His shoulders will bear much of the weight of expectations, along with the likes of Harry Kane, Phil Foden and Rice. Despite England’s obvious quality, there is a notable lack of experience and, perhaps more worryingly, goals, in Southgate’s 26-man group.
Eleven of the selected players have single digits in international caps won. Twelve of them have not experienced tournament soccer. Kane and Bukayo Saka are the only two players to have recorded double figures in goals. Even then, Saka’s 11 to Kane’s 64 is a drop.
Southgate stated that the team’s “younger dynamic” should not prevent its members from taking on “more responsibilities”, as he commented on Rice’s position in the group.
Manchester City defender Kyle Walker (left) is the new vice-captain, while Declan Rice (right) is also part of the leadership contingent.
Bellingham is coming off an impressive debut campaign in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid.
“Those two guys (Bellingham and Rice) are leaders,” he added. “The team has acquired a younger dynamic and it is important that they assume more responsibility in those areas.
“It shouldn’t just be up to the older players to lead. Many of our younger players have many caps and a lot of big match experience. I could have brought more to the group, but I think four is enough and we will meet regularly and communicate everything.’