Gianfranco Zola, the former manager of Birmingham City, offered some unusual compliments regarding Jude Bellingham’s performance in England’s victory over Italy on Tuesday night.
Jude Bellingham, who initially made a name for himself at Birmingham City before departing in 2020, has continued to impress. His game has elevated to new heights after joining Real Madrid this summer, scoring an impressive 10 goals in as many matches. Bellingham has also carried his exceptional form to the international stage, playing a pivotal role in England’s triumph over Italy, securing their qualification for Euro 2024.
Bellingham played a crucial role in winning a penalty that led to Harry Kane’s equalizer, displaying slick build-up play. In the second half, he initiated a counter-attack and set up Marcus Rashford to put the Three Lions in the lead.
This marked Bellingham’s 27th appearance for the England national team, and he is already poised to participate in his third major tournament. While on punditry duty at Wembley, Zola struggled to find the right words to describe Bellingham’s remarkable development.
Zola expressed his amazement at Bellingham’s youthfulness by humorously stating to Channel 4, “I have to say it makes me laugh, because at 20 years old I was still drinking milk from my mum.” This quip elicited laughter from Bellingham and fellow pundits Jill Scott and Joe Cole, with Zola quickly adding, “Not directly!”
Since his breakthrough season at St. Andrew’s, fans have observed Bellingham’s flourishing career from afar as he moved on to Borussia Dortmund and then Real Madrid. This has sparked calls for his return to English football, but Bellingham has made it clear that he plans to stay in Spain.
Bellingham shared his enthusiasm for the game, highlighting the freedom given to him by his club and the national team to play in his own style. He emphasized his focus on improving his timing, making runs into the box, and approaching each game with a strong desire to make a significant impact. Despite his high-profile transfer, he expressed his commitment to Real Madrid, stating that he sees it as the club where he wants to spend the next 10 to 15 years of his career, with the backing of his coach Carlo.