Gareth Southgate has added Jude Bellingham to England's leadership group for Euro 2024 - despite being the third-youngest member of the squad.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Southgate revealed that the 20-year-old has been promoted to a select group of leaders, namely captain Harry Kane, Kyle Walker and Declan Rice. The England boss wants them to gauge the mood of the squad and use them as a conduit to speak to him about any concerns they have - and in Bellingham's case, especially the younger ones.
WHAT GARETH SOUTHGATE SAID
He said: “I think we have a very open relationship with all of the players. We’ve put a small leadership group together for this tournament now with Harry, Kyle Walker, Declan Rice, and Jude Bellingham because there is a different dynamic to this group, there’s a lot of younger players.
“I want to make sure the voices of the younger players, that I’m really in touch with that as well. I don’t want to leave here with any stone unturned, I don’t want to have missed anything. It’s always important to know what the players are thinking, they have good views, they have good experiences.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bellingham has been magnificent for Real Madrid this season and the fact that the Champions League and La Liga winner is being trusted to be part of this leadership group shows how highly Southgate rates the midfielder. Only Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and Adam Wharton, 20, are younger than the former Borussia Dortmund man in the England squad.
WHAT NEXT?
Bellingham's England begin their Euros campaign on Sunday night against Serbia at Arena AufSchalke, before taking on Denmark four days later and then rounding off the group stages against Slovenia on June 25.
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