Jude Bellingham

It is not often that England have a genuine ‘galactico’ but that is what Jude Bellingham has been and remains. Bellingham, a UEFA Champions League and La Liga winner in his first season in Spain as he became Real Madrid’s star man and a cult hero at the Bernabeu almost immediately, has experienced a dip in the last 12-18 months due to injuries and a bit of chaos at Madrid. His reputation has taken some blows within the British Press, too, but the cliché of building someone up to knock them down when it comes to them must always be remembered, especially with Bellingham. At the age of 22, turning 23 mid-way through the tournament, Bellingham has experienced more memorable and decisive moments in an England shirt than the vast majority of his predecessors in the ‘talisman’ role. Should he hold off competition from Morgan Rogers, Bellingham will remain a key figure for England, both in defence and attack as well as on and off the pitch.